I Will Protect You
by Bladewing265
Summary: Phillip is an 18 year old orphan with a black record and a darker past who is pressed to become a trainer in exchange for a second chance. On his way to begin his forced journey he meets a Ralts who will change not only his future, but reshape his very soul and allow him to come to terms with the demons of his past to embrace a destiny unlike any other.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Pokemon in any way shape or form. This is merely meant as a fanfiction. All rights to characters and material gathered from existing sources go to their respective owners.**

**Hi guys! I'm trying to write a story for the first time on this site. Please leave any constructive criticism as it will be greatly appreciated (just be nice about it)! :) **

I Will Protect You (Cross my heart) Chp. 1

A lone figure walked along a lonely path in the middle of the night. He walked with his hands in the pockets of his red jacket – a dark blue cap on top of his black hair covering his brown eyes. Swung over his shoulder was a brown bag filled with his belongings. His name was Phillip and he was on his way to start a new journey – that of a Pokemon trainer.

As he walked down the dusty path that led to Santalune City he looked around at his surroundings. Normally one would take the direct path leading through the forest but in his case he had decided upon a lesser known path that went outside the perimeter. With all the wild Pokemon lurking in the forest walking through it without Pokemon of your own was ill advised – even more so during the night time. However that doesn't mean that he wouldn't run into anything since he was so close to the outer edge. Seeing nothing, he went back to contemplating the turn of events that had led him to this point.

Most people chose the path of a trainer because it excited them or gave them the chance to grow along side Pokemon they came to regard as their close partners. Joy, excitement, anticipation, curiosity all burned inside people who took up the challenge of becoming a trainer.

But those emotions were the exact opposite of what Phillip felt.

He was not interested in making friends - human or not. He had not had a friend since he was 9 years old. He had no intention of pursuing any lofty dreams. He had never even considered this occupation as a choice for him. In truth his heart yearned to be alone and separate from the world around him. That's what had gotten him through the years at the orphanage where he had lived in until tonight – the night of his 18th birthday.

He recalled the discussion with the orphanage's director before he had left.

_"This is chance for you to discover yourself and explore the world that you have been missing,"_ the director had told him the day before as he sat behind his desk. "_A young man like you will benefit from such an experience!_" he pressed on as he smiled a faux fatherly smile.

_Oh please_, thought Phillip, _what a load of crap. The old man has been trying to get me out of his hair for years. _Phillip didn't even wait for the morning to leave. Once he was told where to go meet Professor Sycamore in Lumious City he had packed up what little belongings he had into a nap sack and left. There was just one reason why he was interested in taking this occupation. _"If you successfully help Professor Sycamore with some of his research, we may be able to use that to clean up that spotty record you have Phillip" _the director had told him with that same fake smile.

When he had first entered the orphanage at the age of 9 Phillip had distanced himself from everybody. Naturally this made bullies at the place look at him like easy game That was until he had punched one of them in the face – and had "accidentally" gouged his eye with his thumb. The fat fool rolled around in the ground screaming for help like the brat he really was. As a result Phillip had been confined to his room for three weeks after the incident. That was how everything had started. Time and time again he would get into fights with his peers when they pushed him into a corner. He never went out to start fight – but also had no issue with defending himself or ending a fight. Eventually he got the reputation of being a delinquent and the director had applied for his transfer to another facility several times – only to be turned down when his record inevitably got shown to the other orphanages.

When he was 13, he began to sneak out of the orphanage after dark and walk the desolate streets of the nearby town on his own. It gave him peace of mind to be alone, but that didn't last long. Other juveniles also did the same thing but they hanged out in groups and seeing someone alone made them bold.

He remembered the one night a group of three had walked up to him in the middle of a back alley. _"Hey check this punk out. What's the matter little man? You lost?"_ They shoved him and laughed at him all the while taunting him to do something. _"Come on! Fight back you little bitch! Or are you gonna wait for your mommy to come and make everything better!?"_ One of them pushed him to the ground and punched him in the face. They began to laugh at him while he lay there. Phillip was just about to punch back when he has something silver on the ground. An old box cutter someone had forgotten or thrown away . It's silver blade glittered in front of him. Something in side him told him to reach for it. It was the part of him that had grown tired of playing fair with people who treated him like dirt. He reached out and grabbed it in his hand. It's plastic handle was cool and he felt the rubber on the grip.

His would-be assailant reached down for another blow "Oh I'm not done with you ye- AAAAAHHHHHHH!" As he reached down Phillip had taken the chance and swung the blade aiming for the thugs' face. He was rewarded with a scream followed by the sensation of warm blood on his hands mixed with the smell of iron. The boy clutched his face screaming. "MY FACE! MY FACE! OH GOD IT HURTS! IT HURTS!" The other two, seeing the damage, backed off slightly. Phillip got up and faced them. They're eyes widened and both boys turned and ran away followed by their injured companion. "I'LL FINISH YOU OFF LATER YOU BASTARD!" he yelled as he ran. Phillip stopped to catch his breath. He looked down at his hands and found them shaking. The blood was all over his right hand. He walked over to a puddle of water and washed it off as best he could.

Afterward, he had begun to leave the scene but the police showed up before he could get far. They arrested him and although no one testified that he had attacked anyone as there were no witnesses, it was assumed that he was involved in something considering he had a bloody box cutter on him when they caught him and opened a file on him. His record began a slow and methodical deterioration after that. He would either get into fights at the orphanage or out in the streets. He never found peace and quiet anywhere. The only thing that kept him from juvenile hall was that all of the incidents were ruled as self-defense. However, every case also noted that he had used excessive or unnecessary force. Despite that, he had learned from those experiences not to leave himself open to others.

From that night on, he always had knives or blades he could get his hands on stashed away in the area. Eventually he managed to buy a combat knife from an older boy in the neighborhood and had it with him even now as he walked. He had only needed those knives a couple of times after that but those few times earned him a reputation. He had practiced with them at night improving his technique using online articles on knife fighting for reference - for some reason it brought him a level of peace. The sound of his blade whistling through the night was pleasant to his ears. The fluid movement of his body, focused on making the blade an extension of his being, honed his mind and brought him into his own world away from others. In effect, he used training to escape the world around him and not necessary in preparation to hurt others. It was one of the few things he actually took an interest in aside from reading which he did when he could get his hands on books at the orphanage.

Coming back from his thoughts of the past he began to consider his present situation. He wondered why the director had chosen him for something like this when there were other viable candidates at the orphanage. He knew he wanted to get rid of Phillip but sending a delinquent to a world renown Professor in hopes of getting him out of his hair was a little much and contradictory. He felt like his heart was devoid of emotions related to companionship which as far as he knew was essential for being a trainer. He had become so used to being alone that any activity related to the subject of companionship he saw with distaste.

He shrugged. _As long as it gets me what I need then what do I care? _He thought to himself. _I'll go along with this little plan until it helps clean my -_

"AAAAALLLLLLTTTS!"

A piercing cry filled the night air and made Phillips' heart jump a beat. He came to a sudden halt and he instinctively looked around for the source.

"AAAAAALLLTTS!" it came again but this time he realized it was coming from the woods on his right. He didn't know what was happening but someone was clearly in danger.

Phillips head raced through his options. The police? No that would take too long and how would he get in touch? He didn't even have a phone on him. Getting help from someone? He was on a desolate path in the middle of nowhere at night. There may not be another person for miles.

The same cry came again but this time Phillip got a strange feeling in his head. A feeling of desperation and fear entered his mind. But it didn't feel like his own. Right now his adrenaline was pumping and he felt tense and nervous, but not desperate or overly fearful. This was... something else. Like someone was yelling to him "Please help!" He had no time to consider this.

Another cry pierced the night.

"Goddamn it!" he yelled in exasperation as he ran to the source. From his jacket he took out his combat knife – it's curved and cruel edge glistened in the moonlight.

He went through the outer edge of the woods. "RAAAAALLLTTS!"

He was getting closer! Just a little farther!

He came into a clearing and stopped as he came upon what was happening,

The first thing that caught his eye was the large creature standing with its back to him. It had a large body made up of three separate yellow spheres. On its back were four transparent wings with veins that were easily visible. It had four thin purple like appendages coming from its body and most noticeably were the two "arms" it had that ended in two spikes that he assumed were it's stingers. Finally, on its large bottom abdomen was a third yellow stinger. He didn't have a Pokedex or any sort of reference material but he knew what this creature was; a Beedrill.

But there was no way that it had made the cry he heard earlier. But then he saw it.

On the ground in front of it, scared and injured, was a smaller Pokemon. This one had a white body with a round bowl cut of green hair on its head. From its forehead was what looked like a large red horn with a small one coming out the back of its head. He did not know what this Pokemon was but clearly it was in trouble. It was cowering in fear with it's back to a tree. The Beedrill inched closer and closer and raised it's venomous stingers – a menacing buzzing sound coming from it.

_I won't start a fight_ Phillip thought, _but I will end it! _

He ran as quickly and quietly as he could at the menacing bug Pokemon. It began to turn as it sensed a newcomer – but it wasn't fast enough. Mustering as much force as he could Phillip brought the butt of his knife down on the Beedrill hitting it in the back of the head. It crashed to the ground from the sudden blow and began to twist and roll while emanating a distressed buzzing sound from the sudden and surprising pain.

The small Pokemon looked up at Phillip with just as much surprise at having been saved so suddenly. It's eyes were a shade of red.

"Come on - we have to go now!" He tried to grab the small Pokemon but then he felt a sudden pain as he was thrown away to the right,. Phillip yelled as he slammed into a nearby tree. His right arm seared with sudden pain as he looked up.

The Beedrill had made a quick recovery and was now focused on him. A trickle of blood ran down the side of its body coming from the bruise Phillip had just inflicted. It buzzed with rage as it stared him down. It was seriously pissed off. It raised it's stingers and beat it's wings as it prepared to rush him. If it got him with any of those stingers and injected its venom into him he was finished. There was no way he would be able to get help in time. Phillip got up and faced the menacing creature. He grounded himself into a fighting stance as he had practiced all those nights. He held the blade upside down in his right hand at hip level with the edge facing outwards and the tip pointing back. His left hand hovered in front of him with it's palm facing down.

The menacing Pokemon rushed him. His first instinct was to move away or run. But fighting all those thugs had taught him one thing – making a move at the last second gives the highest chance of surprising your enemy. He stood his ground as the Beedrill closed the gap, getting larger and larger by the millisecond.

"RAAALLTS!" cried the small Pokemon. Was it actually concerned for his well being? Phillip though._ I figured it would have taken off at the first chance_.

Beedrill was right on top of him as it plunged its right stinger down on him. Now Phillip moved. He brought his left hand outward in an arc and the back of his palm met the outside of the stinger aimed at his torso and pushed it to the side and away from his body. The sudden shift unbalanced the Beedrill. At the same time he made use of the momentum to bring his knife to bear and brought it out in an arc – the edge aimed at the creatures' torso. He could actually see himself reflected in its red insectoid eyes as he did so. Beedrill tried to move away but Phillip felt resistance as the blade made contact with the Pokemon cutting a shallow path into it's body. The Beedrill made a loud and terrified buzz.

_I got it!_

The Beedrill pushed him away and flew back 10 meters to place some distance between itself and him. It tried to stand and mount another attack but it's legs buckled underneath it. Blood was dripping from its new wound and it was clearly in pain. With one last angry buzz it spread it's wings and fled towards the treeline.

Phillip breathed a sigh of relief at having escaped with no injury. _I thought that was going to be the end of me there, _he thought. But before it disappeared into the brush, Phillip noticed a patch of red on its left stinger. He instinctively looked down and as he did his eyes widened. There on his right side, below his ribcage, was a puncture wound leaking blood. The blood trickled down his side and soaked his jacket a deep scarlet as it was absorbed into the fabric.

He dropped his knife to the ground and grabbed the fresh wound him with right hand. _How? _He thought to himself. _When did it even hit me? _A cold sense of realization swept through his mind - it happened when the Beedrill had pushed him away after he scored a hit.

He stood there unable to comprehend what he was seeing. His mind literally locked up. He fell to the ground on his knees as hot searing pain began to emanate from the wound. His mouth opened and closed but no words came out.

_Oh God!_ He thought. _I'm screwed!_ _I'm fucked! I'm in the middle of nowhere! No one knows where I am and I'm in the middle of a desolate forest filled with who knows what other creatures! _He knew Beedrill live in colonies and it wouldn't be long before that things friends showed up to avenge their injured comrade. His mind raced with what he could do - nothing. He began to panic as he realized his own helplessness. The pain began to overwhelm him and he fell on his right side – the pain searing from the impact. He turned over and laid on his back. Looking up at the moon hovering overhead.

_ Is this really it? I'm gonna die here of all places? All those fights that could have killed me and I die because of trying to help someone else? _He managed a shallow laugh._ Wow - life really screws you over when it wants to. No good deed goes unpunished..." _he thought. He began to close his eyes as his eyelids became heavier by the second. _I guess it's not too bad... if I die now...then I can see them again and..._

He felt a small hand on his forehead. He looked up and saw the small Pokemon he had saved. It's scarlet eyes were full of concern and worry as it leaned over him.

"Ralts..." it said in a low and worried tone. Tears began to form around its red eyes. He felt them as they landed on his face and ran down his cheek.

_Heh,_ he thought, _Why should you be worried? You're gonna live...after all. Go and find your friends... before that thing comes back. I'm done. _He couldn't talk through the pain so thinking that thought was the only thing he could do. Suddenly the small Pokemon shook its head from side to side like it was saying no. His eyes widened a little. _Did it actually hear my thoughts? _

He continued to stare at the small and curious Pokemon as his consciousness came in and out, threatening to fall over in the darkness. Was it just him or was his panic actually diminishing? His body must be dying he thought as he stared into the small Pokemon's red eyes.

A sudden calm came over him. He still had enough in him to ponder at the strange sensation. It was unexpected given the circumstances - like someone was implanting the sensation of peace into his mind.

The small figure over him dissipated into the darkness as his consciousness was lost and he fell into nothingness.

He began to hear noises. He couldn't make out anything in particular, but as he strained to hear they got clearer and clearer. He could make out words like doctor, treatment, and reports. The volume increased like an orchestra slowly building up to a crescendo.

_Am I dead? _Phillip thought.

He began to make out lights coming through his eyelids. He tried to open them and was greeted by a blinding flash followed by the familiar sigh of fluorescent lights on a ceiling. He blinked his eyes in surprise and bewilderment. _How was he not dead? _he thought to himself. As he tried to take in his surroundings, he found he was on a bed with a monitor recording his vitals on the right. He was wearing a blue medical gown – his clothes were folded on a chair in the corner of the room. The room was a soft white color. The window to the room was open allowing a small breeze of fresh air into the interior. His head hurt and his body felt like it weighted ten times it's normal weight. He tried to recall what had happened before he had passed out.

There had been a scream. He remembered running into the woods and finding that large insectoid Pokemon in the clearing. It had been attacking that small green and white...

"Ugh" he moaned. Everything was too fuzzy in his head to make any sense of what had happened. He sat up and winced as a sudden shock of pain passed through his right side. He looked and saw bandages under his medical gown on his right.

"Oh you're up!" came a female voice.

He turned to the door of his room. Standing at the doorway was a nurse with a clipboard. She had purple scrubs on and her red hair in a ponytail. Her tag read Allison.

"What happened...?" Phillip asked in groggy voice he hardly recognized as his own.

"Someone found you outside the Santalune City limits about two days ago. You were gravely injured and losing a lot of blood." said the nurse as she checked his vitals on the monitor. " You're lucky we got you in here when we did otherwise you may not have made it. We also found a small Pokemon next to you passed out as well. From what I hear it was a Ralts and -".

"Wait" said Phillip unable to comprehend what the woman was saying, "Hold on what do you mean I was at the city limits? Last thing I remember I passed out in a forest after getting attacked by a Beedrill. I must have been at least 3 miles away from Santalune when that happened. And what about the Pokemon that was with me - "

"The Ralts." the nurse corrected him. "And don't move so much or you'll open up that wound."

"Yes the Ralts" said Phillip slightly annoyed "What happened to it?"

"It was moved to the local Pokemon Center" she said "From what I gathered it's wounds were serious but not life threatening. Regarding how you got to the city your guess is as good as ours. The only thing we have to go on is that a witness coming home from work reported a bright light suddenly appearing in the middle of the night. When he went to investigate it he found the two of you on the ground and contacted the authorities immediately."

Phillip put his head down and rubbed it with his left hand trying to comprehend what happened. None of this made any sense. How had he made it to the city from that forest? What was the deal with that light? He looked down where the puncture wound had been. A small red stain had bled through the bandages.

"How long before I can go?" he asked "I'm supposed to meet Professor Sycamore at his lab. They're having me do some kind of research for him."

"I figured you were a trainer" said that nurse "You should be good to go this afternoon. I suppose you will want to go check on your Ralts? It should be up and about by now."

"It's not mine I just gave it a hand. It's how I got this" Phillip pointed to his bandaged side "You should tell them to release it or give it to a daycare."

"Well I think you should at least pay it a visit regardless" the nurse said "You know it was almost impossible to take it away from you. It kept holding on to you when it came to. It was yelling over and over. Eventually it tired out and we were able to separate you two. It may have saved your life somehow - either that or you have one hell of a guardian angel."

The nurse left the room leaving Phillip alone to contemplate his thoughts. _Why should I care what happens to it now? I saved it and that's that. Time to move on already. _That's what he thought and yet... He felt something inside him nagging him to go to the center. Perhaps that Ralts had saved his life. It was the last living thing he had seen before passing out after all.

Phillip sighed as he laid back down onto the bed. He could at least go say thank you in that case.

The hospital had released him that afternoon. Luckily he had not been injected with any poison when he had been stung and the stinger missed anything vital. _At least my luck is holding out,_ he thought. As he walked down the sidewalk towards the Pokemon Center he looked around the city. There were sights and sounds all around him. People laughed and talked and children played on their bikes and roller skates. The sun was directly overhead casting light down on a nearby lake causing it to shimmer as if its surface was made of dozens of diamonds. Before he knew it, he was in front of the Center.

_Well here goes, _he thought.

He entered the red and white building. The reception area had a few trainers waiting patiently for their Pokemon to be healed as well as medical staff. He approached the pink haired nurse at the counter.

"Hello" she said with a smile " Would you like us to heal your Pokemon today?"

"No thanks" said Phillip "Actually I'm here to ask about a Pokemon that was brought in two nights ago. I'm told it was a Ralts?"

"Oh!" she exclaimed " You're her trainer! She'll be so happy to see you! The poor thing has been worried all this time. Come right this way."

"We'll actually I-" Phillip began to say but he was cut off when he was pulled around the counter and led down the hallway. Walking down it he saw doctors and nurses attending to all sorts of Pokemon. He saw a Chansey treating a burn on a Bulbasaur as well as Pokemon being healed while in their Poke Balls as they were placed into machines designed to replicate healing energy similar to that from Chansey.

They stopped in front of Rm. 7. The nurse opened the door and led him through the doorway. There in the corner curled up was the Ralts he had saved. It was apparent that it had been crying most of the time. He could make out dry trails under its eyes.

The nurse stepped towards the small figure. "Ralts" she whispered "You're trainer is here"

The small Pokemon looked up slowly and caught sight of Phillip. It's face lit up with a huge smile. It jumped to its feet and ran to him.

"Ralts! Ralts!" it cried in joy. It wrapped it's small arms around his right leg and held on. Phillip looked down at the small Pokemon and began to get that same strange sensation he had felt right before he rushed into the woods and then before passing out on the forest floor. Like someone was speaking to him with emotions rather than words. He stood there awkwardly – not sure of what to do next.

" You're not her trainer are you?" asked the nurse with a sad smile.

Phillips was caught of guard and stared at her for a few seconds without saying anything.

"How did you know?" he finally asked.

"Well for one thing if you were her trainer I would imagine you would at least give her a hug upon seeing her or say hello. Also no one should have to tell you the name of a Pokemon if you caught it" she said "Finally you didn't have poke balls or any equipment one would expect a trainer to have."

"But then... why did you let me see her?" he asked.

"Because I know she saved your life. It's only natural to want to come and say thank you at least" said the nurse

"So then" said Phillip "She _was _ the one who got me here. But how? She couldn't have pulled me anywhere."

"Of course not silly" said the nurse with a small laugh "She used the technique called teleport. Though I must say for a wild Ralts at her age to know teleport is rather amazing. They normally take years to learn such an advanced technique. Ideally they use it to help escape from danger. But it seems that she was so afraid she couldn't use it when she needed to that night. That's why she didn't run away from that Beedrill that attacked her. But you know" she said looking down at Ralts who was now looking up at Phillip "That technique normally only works on themselves or their trainers when they are captured. The only way that she could have teleported you with her was if she established a deep mental bond with you that night."

Phillip then remembered that feeling he got when he had been bleeding out on the ground. _So that calming sensation was her establishing some kind of link? _

"Furthermore, unless she has been to this city herself she must have pulled the destination from your mind instead. Have you been to Santalune City before?"

He nodded.

"I see. That kind of bond in needed for a Ralts or any Pokemon in their line to accomplish that with a human. So that must mean"

The nurse leaned forward to look Phillip square in the eye as if for dramatic effect "You two are perfect for each other!" she said with a smile.

"Huh?" Phillip didn't understand how she had reached this sudden conclusion. "Wait - you have this all wrong. There is no way that's right."

"Why not?" asked the nurse cocking her head to the left quizzically.

"I don't even want to do this journey business. I'm being pushed to do it by the head of the orphanage where I came from just yesterday."

"Why wouldn't you want to do it though? It's a great opportunity for you to expand your horizons" said the nurse.

"Look without getting into too many details I'm not a person who is fond of anything expect being left in peace and quiet. I grew up alone relying only on myself and it's done well for me so far. I'm not looking for friendships or" he glanced down at the Ralts "partners" he finished looking back up.

"Hmmm I see," said the nurse "But let me ask you this – what do you stand to lose?"

Phillips only stared at her blankly.

"Well," she continued "If you really are looking for peace and quiet and nothing else then you stand to gain everything from this journey. If that's your ideal lifestyle then you have it right now from what I can see. But if you go out and explore the world – then there is no telling what you may find. If you don't find anything of interest, then you will be right back to where you're at now with nothing lost expect some time."

"Well yeah but-" he started but then stopped. Ralts was looking at him again with those scarlet eyes. He was getting those feelings again. He felt a burning feeling of what felt like love, warmth as well as friendliness coming for her.

"I think she's trying to say that she would like to be your friend." said the nurse with a smile.

"I'm sorry but I don't do friends." said Phillip flatly looking at Ralts. Ralts tilted her head downward. It let go of his leg and began to cry. A sudden rush of sadness and pain came into his mind. _Oh great _he though_ It's bad enough I'm in this situation and now I feel like a prick for just being honest. Plus she's in my head now... _

"Hey now..." he said as gently as he could kneeling down to Ralts. He patted its head trying to calm it down. "I'm sorry but you will be better off with your friends and family than with me. Trust me - that's the truth."

Ralts looked at him and sent more emotions into his mind. Pain, fear, confusion, yearning, and finally... the sense of loss. That one made him stop for a second.

"Actually" said the nurse "We think that she may have lost her family that night."

Phillips' eyes widened.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Ralts never live alone. They tend to live in small groups at least. But you found her all by herself. Her family may have accidentally left her behind without realizing it when they were attacked by that Beedrill. And if there was some confusion during the event, then they may not even know how to get back to the location where they got separated from her because they wouldn't remember it clearly. In short – you're all she has left now."

Phillips was quiet for a minute. _All alone _he thought _this little one is all alone like me. _He had empathy for the small painful memory of that night threatened to come up – the night he had lost everything and been left alone by cruel fate. It felt like hot water had been poured over his heart causing searing pain to swell up. He stopped and calmed himself – something he had had to learn to do since that day. Ralts was looking up at him with expectant eyes waiting for his reply.

He sighed. _What the hell? _he though to himself. "Okay. At the very least I can take you to Sycamore. If anything I'll leave you in capable hands with him. So for now you can stick with me if you'd like" Ralts smiled brightly and cried a joyful call.

"That's fantastic!" exclaimed the nurse "Oh! Silly me I never introduced myself." She held out her hand "I'm Nurse Joy"

"Phillip" he replied back shaking her hand.

"Well Phillip if you don't mind can you do me a little favor?"

Phillip looked at her questioningly "Sure what is it?"

"Catch!" suddenly Nurse Joy threw a ball at Phillip!

"What the hell-?!" he exclaimed as he caught it out of reflex.

Before he could say anything Ralts appeared right next to the red and white ball in his hand in a flash of light. It hit the button at it's center. A beam of red light emerged from the ball as it opened and covered Ralts – she disappeared into the ball and it closed. Phillips eyes just stared as the ball shook three times in his hand and finally made a pinging noise declaring that it had locked itself.

"What the hell just happened!?" he exclaimed looking at the nurse.

"Oh my!" exclaimed Joy in an acting tone so obvious any two-bit moron could catch on "It seems that Ralts was just captured by that PokeBall!"

"So it belongs to you... Right...? I mean that was your ball and everything...?" asked Phillip warily but knowing the answer.

"Well since you were the last one holding the ball, it was tuned in to you. So that means Ralts is now your Pokemon! Isn't great?!" she said turning to leave.

"Wha-? Hold on! What am I supposed to do?! I don't even know the first thing about taking care of it!" exclaimed Phillip.

"Well first you can start by calling her Ralts not 'it' " said Joy. " Better yet give her a name. And secondly just try talking to her. Ralts are psychic Pokemon. Even if she can't speak to you with her voice she will know what you mean if you try and reach out. Anyway - I'm sure you two have a lot of "talking" to do so I'll leave you to it!"

She left with a mischievous grin on her face like a Cheshire cat leaving Phillip dumbfounded. _I did not just get played like that! _he thought to himself. He looked at the ball in his hand with a bewildered expression on his face pondering what to do next. He pushed the button and in a flash of red light Ralts came back out.

"Ralts!" she exclaimed. She ran to him and hugged his leg again with her small arms. She buried her face into his pant leg.

"Wait – but I-" Phillip could only make a few broken phrases as he stared at the small Pokemon hugging his leg. Ralts looked up at him with loving eyes – a huge smile lighting up its face.

He could only stare back in utter disbelief at what had happened.

Whether he liked it or not – Phillip had now become a Pokemon trainer.


	2. Chapter 2

I Will Protect You (Cross my Heart) Chp. 2

It was morning the next day as Phillip walked down Route 4 towards Lumiose City. Everything was the same as it had been when he left the orphanage two nights ago expect for two things.

First, he had lost the combat knife he had brought along for "his journey". When he had been teleported from the forest after his near death encounter, none of his items had come with him.

Second, he was not alone. Walking behind him, trying to keep up, was a small green and white Pokemon. This was his new and unexpected companion that had come into his life without warning – Ralts.

He had spent yesterday evening trying to get her back into her PokeBall with no success whatsoever. Every time he had aimed the ball at her, she either dodged the subsequent red beam or smacked it out of his hands. Eventually Nurse Joy had come in to see what the commotion was and doubled over laughing when she did - almost falling to the ground. After wiping away her tears she had told Phillip that Ralts sometime do not like being kept in PokeBalls and prefer to remain at the side of their trainer. Ralts voiced her approval and so Phillip had given up on the idea.

After being given some supplies for their journey they had spent the night in one of the centers rooms. Phillip had gotten little sleep, partly because Ralts had insisted sleeping next to him. It's not that he was bothered, he just didn't like the idea of rolling over in his sleep and crushing the small creature. But more than that, he was still unsure about, and even disliked, the idea of this journey and yet here he was, the owner of a Pokemon before he even got to the Professor Sycamore's lab. Those thoughts passed through his mind until he reminded himself he was only here for a clean start and once he had that, he would be able to live his life on his own without being held down by others.

At the crack of dawn, he had gotten up and taken a shower, trying not to wake Ralts. When he returned, she was sitting up on the bed. Her eyes lightened up when she saw him and she smiled – he only stared back. They went and got breakfast in the dining area – Phillip ate quietly while Ralts looked around the room at the other trainers with their Pokemon and back at Phillip. Soon after, they had left Santalune heading for Lumiose City.

The sun shone brighter as it got higher in the sky and the clouds parted. A gentle breeze carried the scent of wet dew and the smell of flowers along the path. Phillip walked on and looked around the path. He could see neatly trimmed hedgerows and the gardeners who worked on them. A couple of kids on skates zipped passed the odd couple as they headed towards a skating ring in the distance.

"Ralts!" A sudden cry broke through the calm atmosphere and a feeling of panic entered Phillip

He turned around and saw Ralts had fallen behind. She was running towards him kept tripping only to get back up and try again.

Phillip sighed and closed the distance between them.

"Why didn't you say something sooner? You're a mess now." he asked in an annoyed tone.

Ralts looked up as her eyes began to water. He felt her feelings of sadness, embarrassment, and fear.

"Were you...worried about causing trouble for me?" he asked.

Ralts nodded her head.

He sighed. "You know I would prefer you just be straight with me. It'll make the whole trip easier for the both of us." he said.

He knelt down and padded her head.

"If I place you back in your ball, we'll get you to Sycamore in no time. How about it?"

"RALTS!" she said angrily. _Why is this one such a pain the ass?_ But regardless he had to get to Lumiose as soon a possible. Maybe there he could get a Pokemon that would make the whole job a little easier.

"I guess... I can carry you." he finally suggested.

"Ralts!" she cried in joy. There was a flash of light and for a second, Phillip lost sight of her but then felt a weight on top of his head.

"Ralts – this isn't exactly what I meant by carrying you" he said in an exasperated tone.

"Ralts Ralts Raaaa" was her only response. She snugged her face into his hat and wrapped her arms around his forehead. _It seems like she's content up there. What the hell I guess._ Phillip conceited and began walking.

"Hey you there!" came an unfamiliar voice.

Phillip turned to see one of the gardeners looking at them. He was older man. He wore a hat with a wide brim to shield his face from the sun and green overalls.

"Your Ralts knows teleport?! Very impressive! How about a battle!?" The old man held out a PokeBall.

"Sorry man, but I'm in a hurry to get to Lumiose City. And even if I did want to fight, aside from teleport I don't even know what other techniques she knows" responded Phillip. He wasn't looking for a battle, much less with a Pokemon he knew nothing about.

"What? You don't even know what kind of attacks your Ralts has?" said the old man incredulously. "Then I'll tell you what. I'll help you find out. Not a battle! -" he added as Phillip was about to object again "More like target practice. Here." he opened his PokeBall and out came a creature resembling a red and white lobster. It had two large claws on each arm and six small stubby red legs along its body to propel it forward.

"My name is Jax and this is my Corpish Randall! He's a tough little guy! I'm sure he can help you learn the techniques of your Ralts."

Phillip thought about it. _I'm planning to give this Ralts to Sycamore so what do I care what kinds of attacks she knows-. _His thoughts were interrupted as Ralts jumped from his head down in front of him.

"Ralts!" she said in a determined voice. She was rearing to try and fight. She looked back at Phillip. He stared at her for a few moments.

He shrugged "All right if you want to give it a shot then let's go for it."

"That's the spirit! All right Randall you ready?"

"Cooorphish" said the red Pokemon. It stood it's ground and stood ready.

Ralts stood still and concentrated. Phillip only stared at her wondering what she was up to. Suddenly she cried as she unleash a torrent of light purple energy towards Randall. Everyone was caught off guard including the Corphish as he was pushed back all of a sudden and landed in on of the flower beds.

"Oh shit! Is he okay?!" yelled Phillip out of astonishment.

Randall jumped up and stumbled a bit before regaining his composure.

"Incredible! For an attack to fling Randall like that your Ralts must be higher than average level. Randall! You had enough?" Jax asked of his Pokemon.

"Coooorphish!" came the Pokemon's response. It wasn't even close to being done.

Phillip only stared at Ralts in amazement as she jumped up and down excitedly. _Holy crap, _he though, _I didn't know she could do something like that. _He caught himself thinking. _Am I... excited by this? _He shook his head to clear his mind.

"What was that attack?" he asked Jax.

"That son is the attack called confusion. It sends out a weak telekinetic pulse towards the enemy and can also confuse them temporarily. I'm curious if your Ralts is able to do this what else it is capable of. So how about it? Are you ready for a little battle now?"

Phillip looked at Ralts. She stared back and a wave of reassurance and hope washed through him. She knew she could do it and was asking for him to have the same faith.

"Okay" he said at last, "Let's go."

"Alright then. Let's get started Randall!" said Jax."Use bubble!"

Randall inhaled and then blew out a steady stream of bubbles towards Ralts.

"Ralts use teleport!"

She disappeared as the bubbles reached the spot she had been standing and reappeared to the right.

"Now use confusion!"

"Randall dodge that attack!"

Ralts sent out a wave of energy but Randall jumped to the left and avoided the attack.

"Follow up with Vice Grip!"

Before either of them could react Randall had closed the gap between him and Ralts and caught her in his left claw.

"RAAALTS!" she cried.

"Ralts!" cried Phillip in what could only be described as panic "Use teleport!"

But nothing happened.

_Crap she can't concentrate! _

"Do you admit defeat?" asked Jax with a smile on his face.

Phillip looked at him and back at Ralts caught in the pincer. It wouldn't do any good if Ralts got hurt more than she was now.

"I admit-"

"RAALTS!" she cried.

He looked back expecting to see her in more pain, but instead was met with her gaze. They were the eyes of someone who was determined and her message to him was clear – _no giving up. _

"But Ralts! What the hell are you going to do there!? You can get pissed at me later if you-"

"RAAALLTTSS!" A green energy began to emanate from her. What the hell what going on?

"Damn it!" cried Jax – his eyes suddenly were full of panic. "Quick Randall let go of her and get away - it's Magical Leaf!"

But it was too late – leaves of energy materializing from Ralts scattered around both Pokemon and suddenly all flew as one and slammed into Randall.

"COOOORRR!" he cried in surprise as he flew back. He released is claw and Ralts fell onto the ground.

Phillip only stared in amazement.

"Randall use bubble and take her out now!" cried Jax

"Look out!" cried Phillip.

Ralts got up began to move around the battlefield at a speed that defied her appearance. She gained more and more velocity. Phillip watched as suddenly, she split into 2, then 4 copies of herself. He knew this move. He had read about it in a book at the orphanage.

"A double team attack!?" cried Jax.

Corphish launched it's attack at one of the Ralts. The image disappeared as the bubbled passed through it.

_Now's our chance _though Phillip. _Teleport behind him and hit him with another Magical Leaf._

He was about to call out his command when suddenly, Ralts teleported on her own and materialized behind Randall.

S_he's reading my mind? _Thought Phillip.

Randall only had a chance to look back in surprise as leaves slammed into him.

"COOOOOOORRRR!" cried the Pokemon as it flew forward and slammed into the ground. It was over.

"Randall return!" said the old man as a beam of red energy came from his PokeBall and took Randall back. "Wow! That was one of the best fights I've had in a while! You seem like a pretty competent trainer to me! You sure you weren't pulling an old man's leg?" he said with a sneer.

"I – well – uh" stammered Phillip.

"Raaalts..." came a weak cry. Phillip looked to see Ralts on her back laying on the ground – her eyes looking right at him. "Hang on Ralts I'm comi-." He stopped mid-sentence. His mind went blank.

He began to feel something – a feeling of dread came over him. He put his hand on his forehead and tried to steady himself. Just what the hell is this? He looked over at where Ralts was and was met with a horror he suddenly recognized from his past. A vivid image – a memory that had haunted Phillip since he became an orphan. It was something he had suppressed for years - the image of a young girl looking back him with lifeless eyes on the cold ground. She wore a small dress colored white and blue which a checkered pattern. Her eyes were colored gray and her hair was a light brown. Her skin was a light tan color.

He panicked.

"OH MY GOD! PLEASE GET UP! OPEN YOUR EYES! DON'T DIE ON ME!" Phillip ran towards her in a blind panic. His body moved on its own and he had no control over it– it was like watching a film. He gathered the young girl in his arms. "PLEASE DON'T DIE! PLEASE DON'T DIE!"

"Whoa son it's okay! She's just a little banged up!" cried Jax in surprise "There's no need to panic!" He grabbed Phillips shoulders and shook him. "Come back to us boy!"

"NO I HAVE TO SAVE HER! LET GO! I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING! SHE'S MY LITTTLE SISTER!" He threw Jax's hand of of him.

The vision in front of him was as vivid as reality. He could see her gray eyes and her hair plastered to her face with grime and... blood. It was every where. It had soaked her white and blue dress a deep crimson. Phillip was beside himself.

"PLEASE SOMEONE HELP HER! PLEASE I CAN'T LOSE HER! I CAN'T LOSE THEM!" cried Phillip.

He looked down at her again. The same image presented itself but something was different. Was it him, or was there a white light coming from her lifeless body? As he stared, it grew brighter and brighter until there was no denying it.

Phillip could only stare both out of astonishment and panic as the light covered her entire body. The light grew unbearable until he closed his eyes. He felt a massive amount of energy moving around him. Behind, he heard Jax exclaim in surprise.

Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the light subsided. Phillip opened his eyes expecting to see his sister again. But the vision was gone, and so was Ralts. In front of him was a new Pokemon that he did not recognize.

It had thin green legs. Two red horns that resembled hairpins were on either side of its head. It had a white dress on that looked like a tutu for a ballerina. It's eyes were a beautiful red like two ruby shards. They stared back at him with a look of worry and concern.

Phillip only stared. The Pokemon got off the ground and threw it's arms around his neck and hugged him.

"Kirliaaaaa!" it cried in a worried tone.

"What the – the hell just happened to me - to you?" asked a confused Phillip.

"Are you okay boy? You gave us both quite the scare." said Jax. Phillip turned to face him. The new Pokemon still clung to him refusing to let go.

"What... happened? I saw Ralts laying on the ground and then-" he stopped. He remembered the image but almost as if by the mental equivalent of a reflex he refused to acknowledge it. It was pushed away into the recesses of his mind. His mind began to clear up more.

"You went into a panic son. You were yelling your head off about saving your sister." said Jax. He was visibly shaken by what had happened. " Your Ralts started yelling also - I guess she was trying to calm you down. When you didn't respond, she began to glow white and evolved."

Phillip looked at the Pokemon hugging him and their eyes met. He felt her emotions again, but they were much stronger. He almost couldn't distinguish between her emotions and his own now. Clearly her abilities had improved greatly from just ac moment ago. Despite everything that had just happened, he felt surprisingly calm and reassured.

"Ralts – you evolved to help me?"

"Kirrr!" cried the Pokemon. She held onto him tightly.

"She's not a Ralts anymore son" said Jax "That's a Kirlia you have on your hands now. It's the second evolutionary stage of the Ralts family."

They sat there in silence for a few minutes. After regaining his composure, Phillip got back up along with Kirlia.

"I'm sorry for any trouble I caused you. Especially after you helped us" he said to Jax.

"Don't worry son. It was no trouble at all. I won't ask what that was by the way" he said "but I will give you some advice – hold onto that Pokemon. All Pokemon will evolve if trained in combat enough, but I've rarely heard of one evolving out of a response to help protect it's trainer like this."

Phillip looked back at Kirlia. She looked at him and then her eyes drifted to the ground – a faint red glow appeared around her cheeks.

"Here" said Jax handing over a spray bottle "It's a Potion. Spray it on her and it'll heal her wounds from our battle."

"Thank you. I appreciate it" said Phillip. He applied the Potion to Kirlia making sure any visible wounds got covered. Jax released Randall and did the same for him and then placed him back in his ball.

"Think nothing of it" said Jax after he returned Randall to his PokeBall. "Now I've got to get back to work. Lumiose City isn't far from here so you should make it there by noon. Just make sure to stop by and visit some time!" he said with a smile.

He began to walk off but Jax still wanted to ask him something.

"Wait!" he called "Why help us so much?"

Jax turned to look at him "It's my pleasure to help the next generation of trainers – but I especially enjoy helping the odd ones." He pointed at Phillip. "I've seen many come by here to start their journey - but your different. You seemed unsure – almost like you're here against your will. But I can tell – you'll become one of the great ones. Despite the fact that you have your doubts about this you're still here. Also, that tough guy routine you put on isn't fooling me or Kirlia– deep down you strike me as a decent guy and she must feel the same way as well. You that Pokemon and you" he said pointing to Kirlia "now share the same future. So take care of each other. "

Jax turned and walked away, disappearing into one of the hedge rows.

_The same future _questioned Phillip _How can that be when the future I want is to be alone? I still want to be alone. I'm supposed to be alone – that's what the world taught me back then. Right? _

_ No _came a new voice.

Phillips heart jumped a beat. He looked around expecting to see someone. He felt a tug on his arm.

He looked down at Kirlia. Her eyes were glowing a soft red glow and she was staring right at him.

_You. Not. Alone. Me. Here. For. You. _The string of words were broken like a child's first attempts at a conversation.

"Did you just talk!?" he asked in astonishment.

_Yes. I. Can. Speak. Now. But. Just. In. Phillips. Mind._

He didn't know what to say. His mouth just searched for words, but none came out

_Is. Phillip. Okay? I. Was. Worried. _

"Y-yes. I'm fine. Thanks to you it seems."

There was an awkward silence between them for a few minutes. Then Phillip remembered something.

"Ralt-I mean Kirlia – do you have a proper name? Joy told me to name you and if your going to be in my head like that it seems like it would be rather rude if I didn't call you by one."

Kirlia shook her head.

_No. Name. Phillip. Give. Me? _Her response came with a hint of hope.

Phillip gave her a small smile.

"If you want let me see..." he thought about it for a minute. Eventually, he got an idea. "There is a story I was told when I was young. The person who told it to me and the others was a volunteer at the orphanage and loved it. She would always repeat it." he said. "It came from an ancient country called Greece. It's about a man who made statues and in pursuit of his passion pushed away everyone. But then he carved a statue of a woman so beautiful that he fell hopelessly in love with it and treated it like a real girl. He fell into despair though because his love was never returned. But the god of love took pity on him and made the statue into a woman. That woman was named Galatea."

He looked down at Kirlia.

"How's that for a proper name?" he asked.

_Ga-la-tea. I. Love. Thank. You! _Kirlia smiled up at him.

"Alright then that's settled. So if there are no more surprises, are you ready to get to Professor Sycamore's?"

Galatea's expression changed and grew sadder. Her emotions changed from joy to misery almost instantly. He knew why.

"Where we can start our journey together properly?" he added with a faint smile.

_YES! _ Her eyes brightened. Her mouth broke into a smile and Galatea grabbed his leg just like when she had been a Ralts.

_Old habits die hard. _thought Phillip.

"Let's get going," he said.

Galatea let go of his leg and danced in front of him leading the way. She jumped through grass and flowers along the path, clearly enjoying her new found mobility and stamina.

He let out a small chuckle.

_Wow - now I'm laughing too, _he thought to himself with a small grin. _Just what the hell is going on with me? _

He watched as she danced gracefully along the path causing some to admire and watch her as she did. A couple of kids at the roadside tried to copy her movements and followed behind her.

_Still – you've made a poor choice Galatea. _His hand clenched and a faint pain in his heart emerged. _I'll never be able to be the kind of person that you need to be. _He followed Galatea along the path towards Lumiose and an uncertain future. 


	3. Chapter 3

I Will Protect You (Cross my Heart) Chp. 3

**Hello guys! Sorry I haven't been updating in a while! I've been a bit busy and I had to rewrite the chapter like three times before I felt comfortable with it. Please as always some constructive feedback is welcomed (just be nice)! I'm trying to flush out the characters more so please let me know what else I can do in that regard. **

**Disclaimer; I do not own Pokemon in anyway shape or form. All rights go to their respective owners.**

It was half past noon when Philip and Galatea arrived at the end of Route 4. In front of them stood a stone arch – the entrance into Lumiose City. The arch was huge, about a story and a half tall. It's entrance was so wide you could fit an entire semi truck through without any trouble at all. It's solid stone structure and foundation contrasted sharply against the grass and bushes that dotted Route 4. Phillip stared at the arch and couldn't help but be impressed – he had never seen such a structure in his life. Looking down at Galatea, he figured she shared the same feelings. She stared at the structure – her mouth open slightly in wonder.

"Come on – we'll have time for sight seeing later," he said.

_Okay! _came her cheerful response.

In the past few hours since evolving, Galatea had been communicating with Phillip at any chance she got. She had talked to him about the weather, about his likes and dislikes as well as her own, and had even had him tell her the story of Galatea and her creator/lover. As a result, she was getting better and communicating telepathically with him and her voice got clearer in his mind. Phillip had humored her – after all it would be easier to work with her if she was in a good mood.

As they passed through the arch, they came into a bustling lobby. There was an information desk to their right and benches dotted the area. Travelers and Pokemon were all around talking, eating, or simply taking a nap.

"Welcome to Lumiose City!" said the woman at the desk as they passed by. Phillip nodded in acknowledgment and continued on. He kept an eye on Galatea as she stared back and forth and took in the scene. Getting lost in here would be a very bad omen to start their assignment. After a minute of walking, they came to the exit of the gate and finally into Lumiose City.

The view was spectacular and forced both of them to stop and admire the beauty of the largest city in Kalos – perhaps the whole world. The city streets bustled with blue and white cabs as they ferried people back and forth. Cafes with red awnings and brown chairs and tables dotted the sidewalk up and down the avenue. The air itself carried the scent of freshly baked bread from a nearby shop giving it the same vibrant life as the city itself. People wore all kinds of fashion clothes ranging from skinny jean and caps to yellow orange dressed topped with a beret.

The buildings, however, were the most stunning part of the scene. They were large – 5 stories tall and higher. They were built out of both stone and steel. People had placed small gardens along some of the windows of their apartments that gave them a warm appearance. Skyscrapers rose majestically into the sky as if trying to pierce the heavens but none came close to Lumiose's largest building – the Prism Tower. The silver tower rose into the sky and shined brilliantly as the sun reflected on its surface. It's silver color made it almost look like a ray of light. Large panes of glass were fixed to its sides adding to this effect.

Phillip had heard that it housed the Lumiose City Gym headed by Clemont. It was said to be one of the toughest Gyms to beat and few had managed to do so. Recovering from the sudden change in environment Phillip began to look around for a directory. He saw one close by and tugged at Galatea's arm.

"Come on, after we meet with Sycamore I'll get you something at one of the shops" he said.

Galatea jumped in delight and began to follow him.

Reading the directory, he found that the lab was close by – about a 10 minute walk going west along the street they were on called North Boulevard. The two began to walk but Phillip noticed that Galatea was moving slower than usual. He felt her anxiety and apprehension. He sighed and turned to look at her and guessed why she was upset.

"You don't still think that I'm going to drop you off at the lab do you?" he asked.

Galatea looked at him with her crimson eyes.

_I'm sorry – I know you - said you wouldn't - but I can't - help it. I can't bear - the idea - of parting ways - with you. _

She looked down at the ground embarrassed and ashamed for her lack of trust. Phillip got down on one knee and placed his hand under her chin and gently pushed her face back up until he stared directly into her eyes. Being this close to him Galatea he could see every little detail of her face.

"I've told you that if you want to come then I won't stop you. You have the right to choose what you want to do. There's no reason for me to lie."

Galatea only stared back in surprise. She tried to come up with something to say but the words never came to her mind.

"Come on – enough wasting time. Sycamore's place is just up ahead." Phillip got up and motioned in the direction of the lab. He began to walk along the sidewalk. Galatea followed behind – a faint red colored her white cheeks.

Galatea and Phillip stood just outside the lab doors. Sycamore's lab was smaller than the buildings around it, only three floors tall and it had a different design that made it stand out. Of course, this had made it easier to find so Phillip had been grateful for it. An iron fence bordered the property and two large stone PokeBalls were on either side of the entrance to the front yard as decoration.

"Let's get this over with" said Phillip. He and Galatea walked through the main entrance and came into a lobby. A woman sitting on their right spoke to them as soon as they entered.

"Welcome to Sycamore Pokemon Labs. How may I help you?"

"I'm here to see the professor. My name is Phillip. I know I'm a little late but I'm supposed to help him with some of his research by going out into the field" said Phillip.

"Oh yes! We've been expecting you for a few days now!" exclaimed the assistant. "When you didn't come we started to wonder if you were going to show up at all. But before we continue I will need to ask you to place your Pokemon into it's PokeBall." She pointed at Galatea.

"Trust me, that's not going to happen" said Phillip flatly. "I've already tried and failed"

"Well I'm sorry, but due to all our equipment here it would be hazar-"

Phillip cut her off before she could finish.

_"I said she's staying out here. Deal with it." _A cold stare followed his response.

The assistant stuttered for a few moments in surprise before accepting the situation. She left to get Sycamore, muttering about Phillips rudeness.

_I'm not going to do the same stupid routine I tried in the Center - that's just pointless _he thought to himself. He caught Galatea smiling at him – her feelings of gratefulness filled his mind.

"Don't worry about it. It was nothing" he said.

They stood in the lobby for a few minutes looking around aimlessly.

"Phillip!" came a loud male voice.

The pair turned towards the source and saw a man dressed in a white coat. He was in his mid 30's with wavy black hair. He wore a blue dress shirt under his white coat along with black pants and a yellow belt. He smiled brightly as he came closer to the both of them.

"I knew you'd make it! People started to say you had run off somewhere but you proved them wrong! And better ye you proved me right! I'm glad to have you as part of my team!" he said in a delighted tone.

He grasped Phillip's hand and shook it vigorously.

"I haven't properly introduced myself. Augustine Sycamore at your service!"

"Phillip" he responded.

"Pleasure to meet you Phillip! I can tell we're going to get along just-"

Sycamore stopped mid-sentence – he had noticed Galatea hugging Phillip's leg.

"My word – I thought my assistant was playing a joke on me."

He looked up at Phillip.

"How do you have a second stage Pokemon already?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Well... it's a bit of a story. Mind if we go sit down somewhere."

"Oh yes of course - how rude of me!" he gestured into the interior of the lab. "Please make yourself at home!"

The three sat inside Sycamore's office. Phillip had just told him everything that had happened since that night. Well – almost everything. He had left out the breakdown he had had earlier in the day on Route 4.

"Amazing!" exclaimed the professor. "C'est ne pas vrai! It's almost unbelievable!"

"Trust me, I have the scar to prove it" responded Phillip.

"Well then – I guess this means that Galatea will be your starter?"

"That's right" said Phillip. "Having a second stage Pokemon will help me finish this job fas – AAAARRGGH!"

Phillip was caught off guard as Galatea teleported and materialized on top of his chest. She cried in joy and she buried her face into him. It nearly caused him to fall over.

"Galatea! I already told you twice about this! What's with you!?"

"Hahaha! It looks like you two are getting along swimmingly!" laughed Sycamore as he clasped his hands.

It took Phillip a minute to regain his concentration. Galatea opened her eyes and smiled at him but did not let go. Phillip sighed in frustration. But still, he had to ask Sycamore a question.

"Never mind that" he said "Now how about you tell me why you chose me of all people to do this? There were plenty of other viable candidates to assist in your research. Why me?"

Sycamore sat back in his chair. He looked at Phillip for a few moments in total silence. He knew this question was going to come up and gave the honest answer.

"I need someone like you" he simply said.

Phillip gave him a confused look – he waited for him to say something more.

"As you know, most of my field staff was composed of young trainers whom I gave starter Pokemon to. They would go out and catalog Pokemon they would find and this in tun would help me with my research into all types of characteristics and behaviors regarding Pokemon. Using their Pokedex as my eyes – it was almost like going into the field myself. But that all changed 3 years ago. I assume you know why"

"The Training Restrictions and Safety Act" guessed Phillip.

"That's right" said Sycamore. "Due to public outrage over a string of murders committed by rouge remnants of Team Flare involving younger trainers, these acts were passed and anyone under 17 years of age could no longer be a Pokemon trainer. As a result of some hoodlums trying to steal rare Pokemon and doing the unthinkable, most of my field staff was suddenly gone. I was left with only 5 out of my original 30 trainers that I had in the field and even then those were part timers. But you of course are not restricted by the new laws nor do you have any prior arrangements limiting your movement."

"So what?" said Phillip. "I don't think you can call my age a skill and that still doesn't explain why you chose me in particular"

Sycamore stared at him for a moment like a teacher sizing up a student before asking a difficult question.

"Tell me Phillip," he said " what is your opinion of the relationship humans have with Pokemon?"

The question caught Phillip off guard – he hadn't been expecting anyone to ask him something like that. Galatea sat in Phillip's lap and started at him waiting for his response but for the moment, he had forgotten her.

"I guess I really don''t have one..." he said at last. "I never put much thought into it since I wasn't planning on becoming a trainer."

"Hmmm. Let me phrase it a little differently then," said Sycamore. "Would you say that humans treat Pokemon as general equals or do you think they are treated more like subordinates?"

"I guess we treat them more like pets than anything else" responded Phillip. "We drag them along for the most part to pursue our own ends and use them to fight each other for sport. We may treat them with respect for the most part but certainly not as our equals."

"So knowing that then – would you treat them the same way? Would you treat them as pets because the current social order permits it and in many instances demands that you do it that way?"

Phillip search for the answer. It's true that those were the ways human society functioned now. Humans were the superiors and Pokemon were their subordinates. That's how it had been ever since humanity had been able to subjugate Pokemon and put them to use improving the lives of mankind.

But for some reason it didn't feel right. He couldn't think of Galatea as a subordinate or as a lesser being. She had saved his life after all and had pulled him back from the brink of madness earlier on in the day. Somehow the idea seemed egotistical and borderline insulting to her and her kind...

"No... I guess not," he finally answered.

Sycamore raised his right eyebrow in quizzical fashion.

"And why not if I may ask?"

"Because they deserve to be treated as our equals. We may have technology and advance social capacity in the form of civilization but a lot of that is due in part to Pokemon. They help build our infrastructure, protect our homes, and even on occasion help protect our lives."

"So then will you ever force Galatea to do anything against her will?" asked Sycamore.

"Nope. She my partner on this project. Nothing more and nothing less."

The two men stared at one another for a few moments. Phillip wondered if he had failed some kind of test. Would he be told to leave now? And why did he have such different feelings about Pokemon training when he had never considered it as a choice of livelihood?

Phillip looked up and to his surprise saw Sycamore smiling.

"This is the second reason that I chose you Phillip" he said. "I'm aware of your past and have looked into your records with much enthusiasm. A lot of the notes attached didn't paint the best kind of picture of your character but at the very least I knew you had a sense of restraint in your actions and conduct. You never killed any of the people who attacked you and that shows me that you have type of mindset you keep even in the worst situations. And right now you've surpassed my best hopes for you. The task I'm going to assign you is dangerous and requires an unconventional approach. For that - I need an unconventional trainer and so I've chosen you – or the two of you now I guess."

Phillip stared at Sycamore and then looked down at the small Pokemon that had been sitting in his lap this whole time. Her scarlet eyes were filled with wonder for some reason and he could sense a strange sense of happiness and... relief?

"Well I have to hand it to you..." he said as he looked up at the professor " You certainly know your profiling. Are you sure you wouldn't have been better off as a cop or detective?"

"Hahaha! Non non! It be so much less fun doing that!" laughed Sycamore.

"So with that – what else can you tell me about the "fun" you have in store for me and her?" asked Phillip.

" Ah yes! Well as I've told you this research that I want you to undertake isn't for the faint of heart. I want you to go deep into unexplored areas and catalog what kinds of Pokemon live there and make note of anything related to their behavior. In secluded areas such as those, you will probably find fully evolved Pokemon that are elusive to the general scientific community... and are also potentially dangerous." Sycamore's voice began to fill with enthusiasm. "This is important for my research since it is only fully evolved Pokemon that are able to accomplish the feat of Mega Evolution. We may be able to find a common trait explaining why certain Pokemon are able to Mega Evolve while others cannot if we are able to study them in the wild. Are you with me so far?"

Phillip said nothing and only nodded once. Galatea was now listening as well.

"You're a survivor – I know this from studying your record with the local authorities. I'm aware you don't like anyone prying into your past but it's important for me to be sure of your abilities. And after all, part of the reason you're here is to erase a part of that past."

The look on Phillip's face remained the same – but he agreed with Sycamore. However in truth, if he could chose any part of his past to erase, there was plenty more that he wished he could get rid of. But that was beyond the power of anyone or anything in this world.

"So basically – you want me to infiltrate territories belonging to powerful Pokemon and observe them as much as possible? But then how do you want me to record this info? I don't have any experience in this type of work. And how long am I supposed to track one to get what you're after when it comes to behavioral patterns and other things like that?" asked Phillip.

"You will track them with this." Sycamore brought out a case from behind his desk. It was colored black and made out of a plastic composite. On it were the letters SPRC. He opened the case and produced a strange item. It was similar to what Phillip knew as a handgun but had some clear differences. On it's left side it had what appeared to be a folded screen on a hinge like some video cameras had for recording. The item was colored black with a blue streak along its right side that pulsed every few seconds.

"This is one of my newest inventions created to help catalog and track Pokemon with more precision that the Pokedex. It's called the Scientific Probe and Recon Cataloger. It fires a small probe housed in these rounds." He held up a small cylinder looking object. "When you locate a target, simply open the screen on the left and begin the targeting program. Aim the Cataloger at the Pokemon and it will determine the nominal location to fire the probe at. When it fires, it does so with almost no noise whatsoever to avoid being detected." He reached over and handed the round to Phillip. The outside felt squishy like it was made of rubber. "The probe is protected by a jell-like composite layer until it is used. When fired the SPRC heats up the round just enough to where it is malleable but still tough enough to maintain a general shape. Once it lands, it immediately sticks to the target with that same gel layer and fuses with the target's hide without ever being detected. From there it tracks everything about the Pokemon including heart rate, travel, vocal patterns, and can even record short videos and send them back to the lab. All we need you to do is find subjects to tag."

Sycamore closed the case and placed it in front of Phillip.

"Sound like fun?" he asked with a smile.

Phillip stared at the case and slowly reached over and grabbed it as he stood up. Galatea jumped down off his lap as he stood up.

"How long will you want me to keep this up for?" he asked.

"Let's give it two years. That will be enough time for you to collect the necessary data and enough time for me to work things over with the authorities using that data you bring in as proof of your change in demeanor" said Sycamore with a smile.

Phillip looked down at Galatea and met her eyes.

"You have to deal with me for two years then. Last chance to change your mind" he said.

Galatea stared at him for a brief moment and then suddenly vanished. Phillip had enough time to wonder where she went before he felt a small hand slap him on the top of his head with a surprising amount of force.

"Son of a -!" he exclaimed in surprise as he covered the back of his head with his right hand.

Galatea rematerialized in front of him with her arms crossed and her eyes locked on him. He could see and feel a sense of annoyance. Her message was clear as day and did not need any form of translation.

Phillip looked back at Sycamore whose face was contorting in a vain attempt to hide his laughter.

"I guess you got a deal..." said Phillip with a sigh.

Later in the afternoon both Phillip and Galatea walked down a sidewalk away from Professor Sycamore's lab. On his back Phillip carried some new items that he had been given to start off his journey in a new navy blue backpack that had been provided to replace the one he lost in the forest. He was carrying a Pokenav, a PokeDex, a few Pokeballs (he didn't want them but Syccamore had insisted), and the SPRC along with 150 probe rounds. Now the main things was buying provisions and anything else the two of them might need to get through the next few weeks.

Walking along, Phillip noticed a small stand selling dumplings. The smell was so delicious that it suddenly reminded him that they hadn't eaten lunch that day. Phillip caught Galatea looking at the same stand with hunger in her eyes. The matter was settled.

"Come on let's get some food" he told his small partner.

"Kiri!" she said in delight.

As they approached the stand an older man greeted them with a warm smile.

"Welcome young man! How can I help you today?!"

"Two order of dumplings please and a couple of lemonades if you have them."

"Sure thing coming right up!"

A few minutes later the cook handed over two plates of warm dumplings hot off the grill along with a couple of small beverage cups.

"Here." Phillip handed the second plate to Galatea who eagerly accepted it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some of the money from his research account. The amount that Sycamore had given him had been generous to the point that it was grossly overdone in Phillip's opinion.

"Umm sir you know that there is a Pokemon supply store right across the street right?"

"Why? Will this stuff hurt her?" asked Phillip.

"Well no but it seems a bit of a waste to use food like that on a Poke-" the man stopped mid sentence as Phillip leveled an icy glare at him. Galatea looked back and forth between them wondering what was going on.

"N-nevermind! To each his own haha!" stammered the vendor.

"Come on lets go" said Phillip as they walked away from the stand. The pair walked until it was out of sight and found a small community park. They chose a bench under a tree and sat to enjoy their meal. As they ate their food Phillip kept glancing at Galatea. She ate her food and every bite resulted in her face breaking out in a content smile. He didn't know why but the small Pokemon was interesting to him because of her determination to hang around him but also because being around her made him feel... lighter. It was as if her presence lifted a weight from his shoulders that up until meeting her he had never known was there. He lost himself in thought and when he came back he found Galatea had stopped eating and was now looking at him.

"Oh. Sorry um... just ignore me" he said hastily as he continued to eat his food.

_Phillip? _

He turned as he heard the familiar sound of Galatea's voice in his head.

"What's up?"

_Did you - really mean – those words – back there? You think - of me - as your – equal and – not a – pet? _

"Yeah... I have no reason to lie about that. Why? Is that weird?"

Galatea shook her head.

_No! - It's just – very different – from what – most people – think. _

"Huh. Well I guess I'm not one of those most people. And in any case – if I took everything society believed at face value... well then... let's just say I wouldn't have a high opinion of myself."

Galatea stared at him for a few moments – her food forgotten – and then gently brought her head down on his arm. Her eyes closed and a smile lit up her face. Phillip felt the warmth of her cheek and the smoothness of her skin. He felt his face grow hot and an uncomfortable feeling come over him.

_I'm glad – I met you. _Her telepathic voice was warm and loving. It carried a small sigh at the end.

"Y-yeah. Okay" stammered Phillip. He turned his face away in embarrassment. "Stop acting goofy and eat your dumplings already."

After eating the rest of their meal the pair moved to gather supplies for their upcoming journey. Stopping at some of the local stores they bought first aid materials and food enough to last them for a few days. Phillip bought a guide to wild berries that they would undoubtedly need to use for food and could also come in handy if they needed natural medicines. 

As they walked down an avenue Phillip kept an eye out for any stores that might sell something useful. Galatea was once again entranced by the grandeur of the city as she walked next to him. Her eyes moved from one building to another taking in as much detail as possible. Phillip appreciated her naïve nature when it came to things humans took for granted everyday - it reminded him of an innocence that he had long ago lost earlier in life.

Suddenly something caught his eye and brought Phillip to a halt. Galatea went for a few more paces lost in sightseeing until she turned and saw him staring at a small shop almost hidden in between a general store and a hair salon. The words on top read "Military Surplus". Galatea walked back to Phillip.

_Is there something in there that we might need? _

"Yeah maybe... let's go check."

The pair entered the store. The interior was a little stuffy but was surprisingly spacious. Around them were all kinds of used items and clothing. On clothes racks were dozens of camo jackets of all varieties. There were also olive green and tan shirts and pants right next to them in neat rows. Behind a glass case was a brawny man with blonde hair and a stubby beard. He was wearing an olive green shirt and green camo pants similar to the kind in the store.

"Welcome!" he said in a loud and rough voice but nonetheless with a friendly tone. "I can't say we get that many Pokemon trainers here."

"Hi there" said Phillip as he reached the counter. He accepted the man's extended hand and shook it in greeting. "I'm hoping you can help me with something."

"Of course! What can I do you for?" responded the man.

"I'm looking for a good combat knife. I've unfortunately lost the one I had before."

"I see... can I ask what happened?"

"A Beedrill happened" responded Phillip.

"Ah! Nasty ones those flying bugs! I've almost gotten myself skewered a couple of times walking through that forest... Well then if you need something I got quite the selection!"

The man gestured to the inside of the case holding a variety of knives. Some were smaller and could fit in a man's pocket but some were so large that they were almost as wide as a mans extended palm. A couple had a grip with holes were someone could insert their fingers turning the handle into a set of brass knuckles. Galatea had quietly gotten closer for a better look and stared at the assortment of weapons.

Phillip stared at the display for a few minutes pondering what kind would best fit his expected needs. Then he noticed Galatea was staring intently at one of them.

"Is there something in there you like?" he asked a little surprised.

Galatea looked up at him.

_Well... _came her voice almost sheepishly. _That one – looks pretty... _

She pointed to a medium size knife with a black blade and a green handle with a red insert along the side. For an item in this store it was flashy and stood out from its counterparts.

"What the story with that one?" asked Phillip as he pointed to the knife.

"Ah. That one is quite a beauty. It's handle is made from a toughed rubber based composite and the blade is a full tang meaning it extends the entire length of the knife. The blade itself is made from a carbon infused steel and is razor sharp. You got good eyes little lady!" he said as he looked at Galatea.

Galatea looked down in embarrassment.

"I guest it's settle then. I'll take it," said Phillip.

"Coming right up!" said the clerk as he reached into the case. "Might I ask something?"

"Sure" said Phillip as he reached into his pocket for his money.

"How did you find a Kirlia? Not to pry but I've heard they're pretty rare."

Phillip stared at the clerk for a moment pondering if he should answer. Eventually he decided he might as well make some conversation

"Well... she's the main reason why I lost my knife. I fought off that Beedrill because it was on the verge of killing her in the forest. She was only a Ralts back then."

"So you saved her life then?"

"Yeah but then she saved me after I got stabbed through the abdomen by that bug. She teleported me out of there and I got medical treatment in time. And now she wants to come with me and nothing I say will stop her. Not that it's a bad thing!" he added hastily as annoyance flashed through Galatea's eyes. He didn't want another head smack from her.

The clerk handed the knife to Phillip and accepted the payment but continued to stare at the pair for a moment.

"Well that's something you don't hear everyday," he said at last. "You got guts at least."

The clerk pondered for a moment and then his eyes flashed.

"I've got something you might like. Wait here for a second."

He disappeared through a doorway behind the counter. The pair was left wondering what was going on and after a few minutes the clerk reemerged with an item in his hand.

"Here – consider this a freebie" he said as he handed the item to Phillip.

Phillip and Galatea stared at the item wondering what it could be. It looked like an exercise band you would find fitness fanatics using but it was purple and had what looked like a couple of blue glass pearls on its side.

"This is a power lens. It's used for specialized training of a Pokemon's special attack capabilities. I used it a lot while in the military to help train our combat Pokemon and I've been holding onto it ever since. But hell – it's only gathering dust back there and you rub me the right way. You might as well take it instead. But bear in mind it will lower her speed due to its weight"

"Th-thanks..." was all Phillip could say out of surprise.

"No problem! Well go on and try it little lady!"

Galatea looked up at Phillip and he nodded. She extended her right arm and he slipped the Power Lens on it. It tightened to fit her arm size. Then it shimmered for a moment before returning to its normal state.

"How does it feel?" asked Phillip.

_A bit heavy like he said... But I like it! _Her face broke into a smile and she curtsied in the vendor's direction. 

"Haha now now you'll make me feel embarrassed!" he laughed.

"By the way - I never got you name" said Phillip as he packed away his new knife.

"It's Erwin. Erwin Jaeger. And yours?" he asked as he extended his hand for a second time.

"Phillip and this is Galatea" he responded as he shook his hand.

"Hmmmm. You got a second name then Phillip?"

Phillip was silent for a moment. A sudden change had come over his demeanor but it only lasted for a few seconds. Galatea was able to notice only because of their psychic connection but she knew something about the question had bothered him.

"Nah" he said at last. " I used to have one but I kinda lost it several years ago. Now I'm just Phillip" he responded with a small smile.

"Ah. I understand. Well then Phillip – Galatea- I wish you two the best of luck. I hope to see you guys again sometime!"

"Count on it. And thanks again for the Power Lens."

The pair left the store and walked along the sidewalk for a few more minutes before arriving at the the edge of the city limits. In front of them was the same kind of gate they had entered through into the city but this one had a large number 14 at the top of the arch. This is where they were going to start their journey according to Sycamore's notes. They would travel halfway down route 14 and then cut across towards route 15 and ultimately into the unexplored mountains in the North Eastern area of Kalos.

"Well this is it. Anything else before we go?"

_Nope! I'm good! Let's get - moving!_ came Galatea's cheerful response.

"Before we do though – there's something I wanted to give you" said Phillip as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small, long item and held it out to Galatea. It was a hair clip but on it's end it had a blue flower encrusted with a small blue stone in the center. The clip itself was colored green and closely matched Galatea's hair. She looked at the item with widened eyes.

_T-this is- for me? _she asked timidly.

"Nooooo I just thought it looked cool and you know I'm all about fashion" said Phillip sarcastically. "I figured I would give you something as thanks for putting up with me. I'm not the easiest person to be around. So I saw this in one of the stores and got it for you."

_But – that's not - _

"I know members of your family feel emotions more intensely than other Pokemon" he interrupted. "I looked it up at Sycamore's lab. With my kind of personality it must be hard for you to be around me sometimes and yet- here you are. At least let me show my appreciation."

_O – okay. _Galatea reached for the clip and gently put it into place. The clip blended into her hair and only the flower stood out.

_How does - it look? _she asked.

"Looks good to me. Let's get moving," he said as he turned to leave.

_Wait _

Phillip stopped and turned around wondering what else there was to talk about. Galatea stood still with her eyes on the ground as she rubbed her hands together nervously. After a moment she spoke up.

_Can you – someday let – me know – more about – you? _

The question caught him off guard - but was not completely unexpected. Phillip had learned more information about Galatea's kind and their behavior when it came to interacting with humans. Her type liked to build deep connections with their trainers and this was an issue they were going to have to deal with at some point. But still...

"I can't promise you something I don't think will ever come true" he said with a sigh. "I... I haven't gotten close to anyone in 12 years Galatea. That's not an easy mindset to break out of. Coupled with the fact that I don't feel the need to do so it's unlikely I'll ever do what you're asking. I'm sorry - but that's who I am." He expected her to get frustrated, or sad, or both. He was surprised when neither happened.

_I don't – think so. _

That simple, small response suddenly surprised him. It was the first time in a long time someone had disagreed with him on this.

"Wh-what do you mean?" he asked hesitantly.

_I think – that you – are not- that kind- of person. You're too – nice. Something happened – to make you – feel that – way but – deep down – I feel something – different. That's one – of the reasons – I stay. I have- hope for – you. _She pointed to the flower resting in her hair. _This is – proof – of who you – are – inside – of who – you can be – on the - outside. You're heart – is kind and – thoughtful. It doesn't – hurt to – be around – you Phillip. I can – sense your- true self. _

The two stood staring at each other for what felt like an eternity. Neither one said a thing but Phillip's mind was working to process what he had heard. Why _had_ he brought her along? He wasn't forced into it – at least not in a way that he couldn't have gotten out of it. And then there was that strange feeling he felt. It was nice to be around Galatea and he couldn't figure out why. It felt uplifting to be around her and his mind felt at ease in a way that he had forgotten. None of this made sense and yet – it didn't bother him as much as it should. It was like part of him _wanted _this.

After a few moments he finally broke the silence.

"I...still can't make you that promise - but I'll make you this one. I'll... try and keep an open mind..."

Galatea smiled and her eyes lit up. She ran up to him and hugged his legs.

_Good enough – for now! _Phillip was stunned for a moment but then smiled slightly and patted her head. Once again he found himself acting out of character but strangely enough, he seemed to care less and less about it.

"Alright," he said as he turned "Let's get moving."

"Kiri!" came Galatea's enthusiastic response as she let go and stood beside him.

They began to walk down the path leading to the gate's entrance marking the border of Lumiose City. The two went through and started of their journey into the unknown together.


	4. Chapter 4

** Hello again! It's been a while since I've written anything but here is the next chapter! As always, I appreciate any comments and also like some constructive criticism. All I ask is that you guys keep it clean and professional. I aim to make this story as good as it can be! Also, let me know if you would like something added to the story and I'll see what I can do! **

It was late in the afternoon as the sun began to disappear into the horizon and its light along with it. Phillip and Galatea had been walking along Route 14 for only a few hours but had made good time despite a late start in the day.

Phillip looked around and took in uniqueness of the route and its general atmosphere. The trees in this area were famous in that their leaves were always a red and orange color giving them the appearance of being perpetually in fall. Ironically, he knew this road was also home to a large cemetery that bordered the city of Laverre which was rumored to be home to a large assortment of ghost-type Pokemon. Of course, he didn't expect to get that far along the road since they're plan was stop halfway along and then cut east towards the mountains and into uncharted territory.

He kept walking for a few more meters with Galatea walking alongside of him before he stopped.

"I think this is far enough. Let's find a spot to camp before it gets dark out here."

_Okay Phillip _came the familiar psychic voice of his companion.

They walked to the side of the road and stopped at the base of a large oak bordering the tree line of forest. As Phillip began to unpack, he noticed Galatea looked uncomfortable.

"Hey- are you alright?" he asked.

_Well… its just-that I'm a –little cold. When I was – in a group – me and siblings – would sleep together – to keep warm… _

He stared at her for a moment in thought and then rummaged through the bag until he found what he was looking for. He turned back to her and held out a spare red and black jacket he had bought in Lumiose City.

"It might be more of a blanket to you than anything else but it beats being cold right?"

Galatea hesitated and she looked at the jacket and then back to Phillip.

_Are you sure? – What about you? – Won't you be – cold? _

"Nah - the cold doesn't bother me. And besides this is a spare - there's another in here so don't worry about it"

She looked at him one more time before smiling and took the jacket. She wrapped it around herself and sighed in delight as the cold began to dissipate from her body. Phillip flashed a smile and continued to unpack their belongings. After a few more minutes, everything they needed for the night was unpacked and the pair had collected firewood from the surrounding area. By nightfall, they were eating some of the pre-packed food they had bought in front of a roaring fire pit.

_Thanks for the food Phillip _said Galatea as she finished.

"S'all good" he said he finished his own meal. He put his plate down and looked up at the sky. Having lived in a small town, he had never seen so many stars in the sky at once. They dotted the night sky with their innumerable lights and small cluster groups.

Looking at them all together he remembered Galatea had mentioned her family earlier. His eyes drew down to earth and caught her watching their fire. She was sitting on the opposite side of him and stared at fire seemingly lost in thought. He could see the flames reflected in her eyes as they flickered in front of them. Of course, though, he didn't have a right to ask her about her family or her past. She had asked him the same question but he had refused to give and answer. It wouldn't be fair for him to ask anything like –

_If you want – to know about – my past you – just need to –ask me dummy…. _

The response took him by surprise until he remembered.

"Oh right – psychic type..," he sighed.

She looked up from the flames and looked directly into his eyes.

"I'm not gonna lie and say I'm not curious. But… it's also true that I haven't told you anything about myself so I can't expect you to tell nor do I have the right to question you about it."

The small Kirlia kept her eyes fixed on his until they closed and small smile formed on her face.

_Then how about this? I'll tell you- everything about myself - and in exchange – I – get to ask – one question about - you? _

Phillip was silent for a moment.

"What… kind of question will you be asking….?" he asked warily.

_Nothing too extreme….. I just want to – know more about you – you said you were- gonna keep an open – mind after all, _came Galatea's voice reassuringly.

Phillip thought over the small Pokemon's proposition for a moment. It's true that he had promised her that earlier on but what if she wanted to know more than he wanted to share? But if she really wanted to know so badly, then she could have just looked into his mind and answered her questions that way. But that brought up another question….

"Can't you just read my mind and answer your questions that way?" he asked.

Galatea looked at him and then stared back into the fire. She was silent for a moment before answering

_I_ _can't read – your memories Phillip, _came her response and she stared into the flames.

"What? What do you mean you can't read them?" he asked confused at the idea.

_I've tried actually – I'm sorry I only – wanted to know more – about you so I tried – to read your mind – but I can't get through. Something keeps getting – in my way. _She looked up at him and her gaze me his. _I think it's – you actually. _

"B-but how can human block a Pokemon from reading their thoughts? I though you guys could break through regardless of we wanted to or not."

_Normally yes but – I'm not trying to – do that. I care too – about you to – violate your privacy like – that. Plus if I'm having – a hard time breaking through – then there must be – something painful you – want to keep hidden – and that's your right. _

He started at her with a mixture of disbelief and surprise. This girl – Pokemon – was more mature than he had initially realized. He had up until now thought of her as a child but here and now, she was being not only considerate but deeply understanding of what it meant for him to keep some of his past to himself. In that case, though, this demanded a show of consideration from his as well.

"Okay…" he sighed. "Alright if you tell me about yourself then I'll tell you about me…"

Galatea smiled and clapped her hands together happily.

_Yay! Okay – so what do you – want to know? _

"I guess what I'm most interested in is your family… Can you tell me about them?"

He felt a small pang of pain pass through his heart. He knew this had to come from Galatea but she acted as if nothing had happened and so he pretended not to notice.

_Well…. I have 4 sisters – and two brothers. I'm the third – oldest one in our family – and we all grew up – together in a small field – next to a town. Our parents – were captured by trainers – when we were all still – young so my older – brother and sister- took on the role of taking – care of us. They both evolved into their final – forms and they protected us. It was always – a lot of fun playing with everyone. We would spend our days chasing – each other around the field and playing tag. There was a group of Zigzagoon that would sometimes – hang out with us and we would play hide- and seek all day with them. I guess you could say my life with them was a lot of fun. But then… _

Her voice trailed off and the pain he had felt earlier intensified in his chest. He moved to tell her she could stop but she continued on.

_ One day a trainer came by and tried to capture – me and the rest of my younger siblings…. He used a large purple bug Pokemon and it charged at us. I tried to shield my little brother and sisters and it slashed and hit me until I couldn't stand anymore. My older brother and sister though – came and kept it away from me and the rest of us. They yelled for us to run away and we all used teleport to escape. I thought I was going to end up back where we slept but instead I found myself in that forest. I was all alone for three days and had no idea where to go. I tried teleporting back home several times...but nothing ever seems to happen. I guess maybe I'm too far away... Then while wandering I ran into that Beedrill and it chased me down until it cornered me. And that's when… _

Her voiced went silent again and tears began to well up in her eyes. The pain that Phillip felt in his chest intensified even more to the point it was almost unbearable. Spasms of grief racked through her heart and his own and he watched as she held herself trying to calm down.

Then – he got up and walked over to her. He got down one knee and gave her a hug. As soon as his arms closed, she buried her face into his shoulder and let out the tears and cries of a bottled up sadness that had been building up over the past few days.

_I'm –I'm sorry about all this, _came her voice apologetically. _I haven't tried to think about this for days but it just crept up on me…. so I….. _

"It's all right..," said Phillip with as much of a reassuring tone as he could muster. "There's nothing wrong with crying. We have tears for a reason."

She cried for a few more minutes before her tears suddenly subsided. When she let go of him, her face was covered in tear marks. Phillip took a napkin from his pocket and wiped her face and cleaned her up as best he could.

"Sorry – you only talked about this because of me…."

_No, _came her answer. _I wanted you to know. I did this for myself too. But also because…._

Her eyes locked on his.

_I want to know more about you… _

"Well then – ask away" he said as he sat back down.

Her voice was tense and nervous as she asked her question. _Can you tell me about your past? Just a little? _

He stared at her and then his gaze fell of their fire. The flames had begun to die and he added another couple of sticks to the fire. As he stocked them in, he began to talk.

"I've been alone since I was six. I was in the orphanage of Aquacorde town until a few days ago. The director told me if I did this job then they could clean up my record and I could have a normal life starting into adulthood. I figured I had nothing to lose so I accepted their proposal. Besides-" he threw a final stick into the fire, " they didn't want me there for much longer anyway."

_What's a record? What's wrong with yours? _

"Oh that- right you wouldn't know what that is after all. It's my personal history police – people in charge of law and order- keep about me. Unfortunately though mine is not that clean - I got into a lot of fights both in the orphanage and outside of it. I never made any friends there, or anywhere for that matter, and got bullied for it. I was never formally blamed for anything because they all said I was defending myself but it still doesn't look good on me."

_And that's why you came all the way out here? _

"Yep that's right. I guess I'm just looking for a fresh start."

Galatea lowered her gaze and then asked shyly, _Hey Phillip….. do you consider me your friend?_

The sudden question took him aback and for a few moments, he could only stare at her in silence. The idea of having a friend was foreign to him after years of being a loner. What's more, he had been picked on and antagonized which had made him all the more determined to push people back. But still to lump Galatea in with the rest of them would be an insult to the kindness she had shown him. And she did save his life after all...

"Aw shit…," he sighed "I guess I do - for whatever reason."

Galatea cried in delight and in a flash of light, appeared in front of him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed the right side of his face with her cheek.

_I promise to be the best friend ever! _came her voice full of excitement and determination.

Phillip let out a small chuckle.

_Damn, _he thought to himself, _What have I gotten into? _But then a thought suddenly passed through his mind.

He pushed back Galatea as he realized something.

"Hey – I can hear your voice without that weird stuttering anymore."

Galatea stared at him and then widened her eyes in realization.

_You're right! I didn't even notice! That means we have a complete connection now! _

She hugged him again even harder.

_I'm so happy! I'm never letting you go! _

He hugged her back but despite that a single though passed through his head which he hoped she didn't hear.

_ You shouldn't make promises you can't keep…_

**Two days later**

"Yep – this looks about right" said Phillip as he checked his PokeNav.

_ So now we split off from the main road? _came a Galatea's voice.

"Looks like it. Now we're going... in that direction," he pointed to a group of hills in the distance that went as far as the horizon. In the distance he could make a tree line to a small forest. It was the middle of the day and the pair had finally made it to the halfway point of Route 14. Aside from a few wild Pokemon that they had had to fight off, nothing eventful had happened since they had begun their journey, which Phillip took as a good sign. He felt a sense of excitement come from his partner causing a small smile to break out from him. After that night, he felt like Galatea was more comfortable with him. To be honest, as much as he didn't want to admit it, he felt the same way with her. It felt better knowing something about your travel companion than nothing at all. And, if nothing else came of it, at least he knew they could talk openly to one another on some level.

"Alright. Let's get mo-"

He fell silent as he felt himself and Galatea suddenly overcome with an eerie feeling. He looked down at her to meet her eyes and knew she shared the same idea – they were not alone.

"Can you tell where they're at? Are they Pokemon or human?" he said quietly as possible to not give away anything.

Galatea closed her eyes and a faint purple aura surrounded her for a moment and then dissipated. She opened her eyes.

_ I can sense only one person. They're to our left in the underbrush... They're keeping an eye on us but they're not moving... yet. _

She closed her eyes again as she channeled more of her energy to increase her awareness. When she opened them, they were tinted with apprehension and, to Phillip's concern, a bit of fear.

_ I don't like this, _she said. _They're definitely not friendly. We need to either get out of here or else we'll have to... _

"Or else we'll have to fight" he finished for her. He moved his right hand as inconspicuously as possible and grabbed the handle of his knife. "Okay – use teleport. Send us back down the path – from where we started today. We'll take a longer route and avoid this area."

_ Okay, _she responded as she gathered her energy. But then, Phillip saw a metallic flash from down the road.

"GET DOWN!" he yelled as he pushed her towards the ground. As he did, he brought his knife up in front of him and deflected the object that had been thrown at her. It spun in the air and as it fell to the ground he readied himself and leveled his knife in front of his abdomen should he have to counter another attack. He glanced down noted that the weapon on the ground resembled a long, silver needle about five inches in length. What really concerned him however was that the tip was covered in a purple liquid that dripped off the item. Galatea, now on her knees after being pushed, looked at it and trembled at the sight.

"Don't worry – I'll protect you. It'll be alright," said Phillip as reassuringly as he could. Galatea got up quickly and nodded to him. At the very least, she wasn't freezing up. He turned his attention to their attacker

"WHO EVER THE HELL YOU ARE – SHOW YOURSELF! WE'RE JUST PASSING THROUGH BUT IF YOU ATTACK US AGAIN I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!" he yelled.

The brush from where the dart had come from rustled and out of it, emerged the figure of a man. He was about 30 feet away but even so, Phillip could tell he wasn't just an ordinary thief. He wore a camouflage jacket and pants but underneath Phillip could make out a bright red top with an emblem resembling a flame in the form of an F. He had dyed, red hair that contrasted sharply with his pale looking skin but his most abnormal feature were his eyes – they were like looking into the eyes of a predator about to make his kill.

The man regarded the pair in silence and stared down at them as he walked closer to them. He stopped after he was less than five yards from them. After a few more seconds of silence, he smiled a toothy grin.

"Well, well" he said with a small chuckle. " I've never seen anyone block my first attempt like you kid. Very nicely done."

"Just who the hell are you? Why did you attack us?" demanded Phillip. However, he felt he already knew the answer. That emblem on his chest told him everything.

"What? You mean you don't recognize our symbol?" he asked pointing to his top. "I'm a member of the illustrious Team Flare. We seek a better tomorrow for the world and we will begin by taking over the Kalos region and spreading our message to the rest of the world. And with that, I'll be asking you to hand over that Kirlia you have with you. She'll be a great help to us."

Galatea eyed the man warily but stood her ground. Phillip allowed himself a brief moment of satisfaction – neither of them would allow themselves to be intimidated.

"You're out of your mind if you think I'm gonna let you take her," he said as he inched closer to his adversary, his weapon at the ready. "And you pricks are nothing but an empty husk now. The trashing body of a snake without it's head. Team Flare is dead," he smiled menacingly to make his point"Just like your dear leader."

The man narrowed his eyes and bit his lower lip at the insult. But then, surprisingly, he broke into a loud and deep laugh.

"HAHAHAHA! We'll played you little brat! You're the first one of my victims not to ball up and cry like a coward at the first mention of my organization! What's you're name _brat_!?"

"My name is Phillip. And what is yours _coward_?" he asked. The man stopped laughing and Phillip felt a new sense of focus come over the stranger

"Gino. Gino Maxwell. Remember that name _Phillip, _for as long as you can" he reached down to his belt as Phillip prepared to block another attack. But instead of a needle, the man brought out a PokeBall. "It's the name of the man who's going to take everything from you. Including your miserable life! Go Gabite!"

Gino threw his PokeBall and in a flash of red light emerged a medium size reptilian Pokemon from the sphere. It had a medium size blue body with a red under belly and a light purple underside along its tail. Its arms had two stubby wings on their sides and a single claw protruded from the tips. Phillip noticed it had some scars along its body and what looked like a bruise on its red stomach.

Phillip readied himself and whispered to Galatea. " Stay where you are and use Teleport as soon a possible. I'll cover you while you do. We need to get out of here -

_ No _came a flat response. Phillip turned wide eyed to Galatea who walked past him and stood in front of him facing their enemies.

"Wha – what do you mean no?" he stuttered.

_ I mean no, Phillip. We have to fight this guy. I don't think running is even an option – not with those throwing weapons he has anyway. You can't protect me from both a Pokemon and those at once so I can build up the energy we need to Teleport us both. Besides -. _She turned to face him and smiled a warm and confident smile at him. _It's my turn to protect you. _

Phillip felt a warm flush to him face as he stared at her – but very quickly shook it off.

"But Gabites are Dragon-type Pokemon" he protested. "Confusion and Magical Leaf aren't going to do much damage to them."

_ It's okay. Just trust me._

"Sorry for interrupting your conversation _Phillip" _came Gino taunting voice. "But I'm a busy guy and have little time to spare! Gabite - take down!"

The dragon roared as it suddenly dashed straight for Galatea. It tucked its arms against its body giving it less drag and a boost to its speed. However, the pair was ready.

"Galatea – Teleport to the left and up!"

The psychic Pokemon glowed as a purple aura surrounded her. As Gabite reached her target, she disappeared in a flash. A split second later, another flash and the Kirlia had rematerialized to Gabites right and behind it.

"Magical Leaf!" called out Phillip.

Galatea spread her arms as energy from nature itself surrounded her. It compressed and became an innumerable number of energy shards resembling leaves. Gabite turned and looked like it was going to charge again but it was too late. Galatea pointed her arms at the Gabite and as one, the leaves flew to their target.

"Gabite – Stone Edge!" yelled Gino.

Gabite roared again and stabbed the ground – but nothing happened as the leaves slammed into it's body. It flew onto it's back and rolled to a stop. It's attack must have fail-

"KIRRRR!" A sharp cry broke through the battlefield and Phillip turned just in time to see stone spikes emerge from under his partner. They almost flew out of the ground as they slammed into Galatea who was hurdled through the air and slammed with a thud.

"Galatea!" yelled Phillip. He took a step to run towards her. But as he did so a needle flew in front of him and buried itself into the ground beside his foot. He looked angrily at Gino, who smiled as he twirled another of his damned weapons in his hand.

"Not so fast brat," he said with a wolfish grin. "You stay right there or else. This is a duel between these two and you're not going to interfere with - ." Gino stopped mid sentence and glanced to his right.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his left eye, Phillip saw Galatea, who had been lying still on the ground, disappear in another flash and then reappear in front of him. She spread her arms out and another volley of emerald missiles materialized. She stared down at the Gino.

_ If you do anything to him -I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET IT! _Her psychic voice was filled with menace and indignation. Phillip was taken aback a little – he never knew she had it in her.

Gino stood still – his smile having never left his face.

"Oh – what a loyal girl you have there Phillip. I'm impressed. But you know." He leaned forward a little as if to drive his point "She should really be paying attention to the field."

As soon a Gino said that, Phillip felt the ground shake and a sudden sense of realization came over him.

"Galatea – teleport right NOW!" he yelled.

Galatea disappeared just as those same stone spikes broke through the ground. She rematerialized and landed to his right. Both of them searched frankly for any sign of the Dragon-type but it was nowhere to be found. But then -

"Dig." It was all Gino said but enough. The ground under Galatea broke open again but instead of stone spikes, Gabite emerged and roared at the now startled Psychic type. Swinging it's claw around it slammed Galatea into the ground beside it and emerged from its hole ready to finish the job and lunged at her. It was a dire situation, but Phillip kept his head.

"Galatea – Confusion!"

Galatea's energy built up in an instant and Gabite – in the middle of rushing Galatea with it's open jaws – stopped inches from her neck. Suddenly, it was on the move again and landed in front of it's trainer with a dull thud. Galatea teleported back to Phillip.

"Are you okay?" asked Phillip out of concern. Her body was covered in scrapes from the attacks she had taken and some were even bleeding.

_ No worries – I'm doing fine. _Her response was reassuring, but Phillip knew that if this dragged on for much longer, they would be done. He looked back at Gabite and saw it trying to stir. It staggered to it's feet but it's legs buckled and it came back down. It was suffering from the last Confusion attack it had taken. Gino eyed the Pokemon with a mixture of annoyance and disdain. Then he did the unthinkable.

"Oh – having trouble there?" He walked up to the Gabite's side. "Hmmmmm. Then let me help you!" with that he sent a kick straight into the dragon's underbelly.

Phillip and Galatea froze in place – their eyes filled with horror at what the just saw. Time seemed to stand still as Gino's foot dug into the defenseless creature. It cried out in pain

"GAAAAAB!"

"What's that? Can't get up yet? Here have another!" He began to send more kicks into the Pokemon. Each time, Gabite's body rippled with the force of the blows – and each time they seemed to get stronger.

"GAA – ABB!" The Pokemon's cries were broken by coughs as the wind was knocked out of it's body and blots of blood flew from its mouth onto the ground.

"WH – WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?" cried Phillip as he finally found his voice.

"KIIIIIIRRRA!" cried Galatea.

Gino stopped his assault and for a moment, was still. But then, in a flash, his right arm swung outward in an arch and paused when it was pointing at Phillip. He had a moment to wonder what Gino was doing before he felt a sharp, burning pain suddenly erupt from his right leg.

"AARRRGGGHHH!" he cried in agony.

The sensation was so intense that Phillip immediately fell to his left knee. Looking at his right leg, he saw two of Gino's projectiles lodged in his leg. He gasped as the pain seemed only to get worse.

_Phillip! _cried Galatea. She rushed to his side and put herself between him and their assailant. She spread her arms out and stood her ground as Gino stared at her, like a viper sizing up a small meal. But still, even through the pain, Phillip could tell she was afraid.

"You don't get to question what I do with my own belongings kid" came Gino's flat response. The cocky bastard looked away from them as he continued to speak, his focus shifting back to the creature prostrated on the ground next to him. "I don't much care for weak links when it comes to my tools and this creature is no exception. I'll deal with her first, and then I'll concern myself with you."

With that, Gino began to kick the defenseless Gabite again. It yelled out in pain, but it's cries grew weaker by the second as it's life slowly faded away under the relentless assault.

Phillip's eyes grew wide with rage as the scene in front of him unfolded. The immense feeling of anger threatened to overcome his rationality. He had a sudden, deep desire to kill this man. The way he was beating to death this creature brought back feelings echoed from memories. Memories Phillip had worked for years to suppress so as to keep his sanity. Like flashes from an old and worn out movie, they crawled back into his head. The fear, the pain, the sense of desperation. All of these feelings which were rooted in his past came back to him. But most of all, a sense of visceral anger and menace. As they ravaged his mind, everything went quiet as a sickening voice entered his mind.

_If you want to save her – then you better show us you have the balls to do it kid. Whether she lives or dies, the choice is up to you..._

His eyes opened wide with the realization of what he had to – no _wanted – _to do. He gasped for air as his right hand reached up and grasped his face in an attempt to steady himself. Slowly, he stood up, now oblivious to the wound on his right leg. He felt a pair of eyes settle on him. Galatea must have felt him move beside her. But he could not, would not, turn to meet her. As if he were possessed, his body refused to turn away from his target.

_Phi-Phillip..? _came a tense voice into his mind.

"Wh-whether she lives or dies..." he muttered to himself in almost a trance like state. "The choice is... up... to ME!"

His words attracted Gino's attention, causing the thug to stop his attack for a second time. He turned and met Phillips eyes and for the first time, Phillip saw a new emotion play out over his face- surprise. Phillip looked down and saw Galatea staring at him, her mouth open slightly as she must have felt the inner workings of his mind.

He glanced down at his leg and saw the two needles sticking out of his thigh. Without thinking, he grabbed them both and ripped them out of his body. The pain was immediate, and it hurt like hell, but he was well beyond the point of caring. He looked back up at Gino and threw the weapons back at their damned owner. The needles, not even coming close to flying in a straight line, were never going to hit their target as they spun in the air. Nonetheless, Gino raised his right arm and with the back of his hand, slapped the projectiles out of the air, looking away from Phillip for a moment as he did. Phillip took this chance.

His legs bent and pushed hard against the ground beneath him as he broke into a charge. His knife had reappeared in his right hand and it was aimed at his opponents throat. He no longer cared about what would happen if he killed this man – no this monster. Nothing else mattered - not the journey he was on, not the cries he could only guess were coming from Galatea, not even his own desire for a new life. All he knew was that in front of him was an innocent being murdered and he could not abide this. He would never allow this to happen without doing anything and everything to stop it. Not again.

It felt like minutes passed as he charged his enemy. Gino had turned back to face the young trainer, a sickening smile back on his face. It grew larger as Phillip raced to close the gap, determined to deny him any chance of escape. There was no time to think as he came up to his enemy and covered the last few feet. He could smell the bastards stench and see every detail of his face including his eyes which resembled dark pits into an infinite void.

He swung his knife, aiming for the kill.


	5. Chapter 5

** Hi everyone! Yes - this story is not dead. I've just been busy with life changes and all that. I'll try to update more frequently than this and apologize for the delay. As always, please comment any suggestions you have for this story. I do read them and I appreciate them. I'm trying to include Pokemon vocals in this now. (If you see words written in parentheses like this), it indicates vocals. Happy reading! **

** As always, I do not own Pokemon or any of its copyrighted material. **

Galatea watched as Phillip charged at the human named Gino. The look on his face, the roar that escaped from his mouth made him look more bestial than any human. She wanted to move, she wanted to help him, to do _something _but her body refused to do like she wanted. She was paralyzed by the emotions coming from her friends' mind and heart. They were a dark swirl of anger, hatred, and a deep malice that frightened her to her very core.

* * *

_It-it's almost like that other humans heart... _she admitted to herself fearfully as she watched Phillip reach Gino.

Phillip swung his knife at Gino's neck and, for a moment, thought he saw the edge disappear into his body. But his swing ended abruptly as Gino raised his left hand across his body and grabbed Phillip's wrist, stopping the blade just centimeters from his neck. Phillip had time to see Gino smile a wolfish grin before he drove his right fist into Phillip's stomach. The sudden pressure and force caused him to lose his breath as the air was literally knocked out of him. Following through with his attack, Gino swung Phillip's right arm away before letting go, leaving him exposed. Using his right leg as a pivot, he lifted his left leg and shot it out like a piston, landing a kick into Phillip's chest. The blow lifted him of his feet and sent him crashing back into the ground several meters away.

Phillip gasped for breath as he clutched his chest. He felt as if he had broken something but that was the least of his concern right now. He looked over expecting Gino to rush him, but to his surprise he simply stood there like a statue. He regarded Phillip with some curiosity, but he could tell Gino didn't perceive him as a threat.

_Phillip! Please sto- _came Galatea's voice.

"Stay the hell out of this!" he yelled as he climbed back to his feet. He clenched his hands before lifting them off the ground– his knife firmly grasped in his right.

"Oh what the matter? Trouble in paradise kid?" mocked Gino.

"Fuck you you son of a bitch!" roared Phillip as he charged again.

"You wanna play rough kid?! Let's see what you can do!" yelled Gino in anticipation.

The two of them rushed at one another. Gino raised two needles in his right hand and threw them. Phillip dodged one but the second dug into his right leg. The pain was immediate, but he pushed through it. He swung his knife again, aiming to cut into Gino chest but using his superior speed and precision, Gino stopped the attack with his right hand by grabbing Phillip's wrist again.

"You need to be smarter than that" said Gino.

Phillip face broke into a wolfish grin. "Oh trust me" he said "I am."

"What-?" before Gino could ask, Phillip raised his left hand, which he had kept behind him, and threw the dirt he had taken off the ground just seconds ago at Gino's face.

The thug roared out in surprise and anger as the small particles landed in his eyes, causing them to shut involuntarily. Phillip, taking his chance, ripped his hand away from Gino's now weakened grasp. He drew his right arm back, aiming to stab Gino in his black heart. He would kill him now and damn the consequences that would follow. All Phillip knew, right now, was that he wanted to kill this monster.

But as he threw his arm forward, as if on instinct, his enemy rolled to his left. Phillips knife only cut air as it passed by Gino torso. Now, with his entire body exposed, Gino took advantage. He jumped back to his feet and drove his left fist into Phillip's face once again, pushing him back with sheer force. Phillip reeled back from the blow for a few yards but stopped himself from falling over. His vision was blurry for a moment and the metallic taste of iron filled the inside of his mouth followed by a small stream of his blood running down from the corner. Gino finished rubbing away the last of the dirt from his eyes. Instead of pressing his advantage, he simply watched him with a mixture of curiosity and, from what he could tell, sadistic glee. He was eager to see what would come next. This bastard was enjoying this and nothing would make Phillip happier than wiping that disgusting grin from his face. He looked down and saw Gino's weapon sticking out of his thigh. He grasped it and ripped it out, throwing to the side in disgust. The grip on the handle of his knife grew tighter as anger threatened to overtake him again.

As he began to think over his options, a small, feeble, cough was let out behind him. For a brief moment, he wondered if it was Galatea but then his memory came back in a rush. He didn't look back but the small noise had returned him to his senses, if only momentarily. He cursed himself when he realized he had forgotten about the half-dead Dragon-type that was behind him. He had been so caught up in trying to kill Gino that the creature's presence had left him entirely. And now he realized, with growing alarm, that he had placed himself in a tough spot. If Gino threw one of his darts now, Phillip could deflect it and retaliate. But if Gino threw multiples of those damned things, which was more than likely, Phillip would have to dodge instead but…

"You know… you really need to focus on the here and now Phillip." The sound of Gino's voice snapped Phillip back to reality. He had three needles in his right hand.

_Shit! _he thought to himself.

Time seemed to slow down as Gino first raised his hand up to the side of his head, and then in a swift motion brought it back down. His fingers relaxed and the needles were let loose, like arrows from a bow. Phillip gritted his teeth and tried to bring his arms up to cover his head and vitals as best he could – but he felt right away that he was too slow. At least one of them was aimed for his head and staying where he was would a death sentence. But to move now would mean condemning the creature behind him. They were almost to him, just a few feet more and –

A purple flash suddenly appeared and blinded him, causing his eyes to shut themselves. He heard a shout of surprise from Gino and a familiar cry right in front of him. The noise of something colliding reached his ears. The light subsided almost as quickly as it had appeared and after a few seconds that felt like minutes, he was able to open his eyes.

In front of him, standing defiantly was Galatea. Her arms were spread out and the needles lay harmlessly in front of her. Glowing leaves were scattered at her feet and dissipated after a brief moment.

"Galatea..?" he asked hesitantly. Her voice flooded into his mind again as she shouted at their attacker.

_S-stay away from us! If you try anything again I'm gonna make you pay for it! _(Kir kiria! Kiri ki!)

Both Gino and Phillip looked at the small Pokemon in silence. After a brief moment, Gino broke it with a deep laughter.

"Well now… This has got to be one of the most adorable things I've ever seen! Can't hide the fact I'm disappointed though. It's unbelievable that you were going to take one of these to the face to protect the trash behind you," said Gino tauntingly as he twirled another needle in his fingers.

"Yeah – I guess an inhuman asshole like you wouldn't know about shit like that would he..?"

"Ahh… you got me there… But you know something I _am _knowledgeable about?" he pointed to Phillip with a menacing grin. "Knowing that you picked a really bad time to get your panties in a twist." 

"What the hell are you talk-" began Phillip as he took a step forward, but then suddenly, he felt his entire right leg go numb. His eyes grew wide in horror as his leg first refused to move, and then lost all strength and collapsed under him. He fell to the ground and the side of his face made contact with the dirt. His mind raced in a panic, wondering what the hell was going on when a cold realization ran through his entire body.

"Th-the fucking poison…" he managed to groan out.

Galatea's head turned towards him and her eyes widened in surprise and horror. She turned back to Gino and cried out in anger.

"Kirrr Kirrl Kirrri!" she shouted at Gino, but he paid little to no attention to her.

"Getting your blood pumping helped you fight better but it also made that poison spread a hell of a lot faster. Right now, I give it about ten minutes before it reaches your heart and takes effect. It's my own special blend and it'll make your body shut down piece by piece until your nothing but a lump of flesh with an attitude before you die. I hope you appreciate the effort I put into making it…" he said.

"Bastard!" cried Phillip as he tried to push himself up with his left arm but his body felt like it was twice as heavy. He cursed as he felt with left leg succumbing to the poison as well.

"I'll commend you for your effort, but it's a sign of maturity to know when you're beaten. That's how the world is," said Gino. "Survival of the fittest kid and today, it judged I'm better fit to live than you." Gino took a step forward, but stopped as his eyes darted over to something else. Phillip thought for a wild moment that someone might be coming up the trail to help, but then heard a growl from behind him. A small claw appeared next to his head and he looked up to meet two yellow eyes staring at him from above.

The Gabite, by some stupid and incomprehensible miracle, had gotten back up on its feet. It stared down at him in cold silence.

"Huh. Well then - I guess I underestimated you," said Gino. Galatea had turned away from him and was now facing the Gabite, readied in case she had to mow down the creature Phillip had almost given his life to protect just a moment ago.

Phillip, for a second, thought the creature was going to bite his head off or try to maim him in an act of revenge and, from the way he was feeling, so did Galatea. But then, the dragon did the unthinkable.

"GAAAAAAABBBBBBBBIIIIITTTTE!" it roared and with new found energy, flew past the shocked pair and went for its former master. It took both of them a moment to comprehend the scene that was unfolding in front of them. Phillip and Galatea watched, their mouths hanging open, as Gabite charged past them with unbelievable speed. Even Gino, who had up until now acted cocky and arrogant, couldn't hide the surprise from his face as his former servant charged at him. It was all so fast, he didn't have time to counter attack as Gabite slammed into his midsection. The charge caused them both to fall onto the ground and Gabite immediately tore a chuck of the jacket Gino was wearing with its jaws and threw it to the side. But that was as far as it got.

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME YOU WORTHLESS TOOL!" roared Gino. His left hand came up and with it, came a blinding metallic flash. The next second , the Gabite roared out in pain as blood sprayed from its face. Without missing a beat, Gino's right hand shot up and punched the creature away. It flew through the ground and landed with a crash in front of the stunned pair. It didn't move an inch.

"KIIIRRRRRLLLLL!" screamed Galatea as she charged up another Magical Leaf aimed at the ruthless thug. Gino's eyes flashed with rage for the first time as he turned to his new opponent. In his hand was clutched a combat knife. The cruel weapon had an edge that made it look more like the fang of a Seviper. Adding to the menacing appearance, it had holes in the handle that could, from what Phillip saw, turn the thing into a set brass knuckles. He made a run for Galatea. The leaves flew from the small Pokemon and closed in on the attacker as Galatea directed them to do so. Rather than try to dodge however, Gino crossed his arms in front of him and pushed forward. The leaves made contact and for a moment, Phillip saw Gino's charge slow down. But then, as if pulling from some inhuman power, Gino roared and, to the horror of both Phillip and Galatea, suddenly picked up the speed. He was on top of Galatea before either of them could react.

"GET OUT OF THERE!" yelled Phillip.

Gino brought his knife down, but Galatea teleported away, leaving only air for the weapon to cut through. She reappeared behind Gino and raised her arms to attack again – but he was ready. He threw a needle towards the small Pokemon almost as soon as she emerged. With no time to teleport, she dodged to her left by throwing herself onto the ground. Gino, without missing a beat, turned and raced towards her again with his weapon raised. He closed the gap in less than a second and brought the knife down on his target. Phillip, for a horrified moment, thought he saw her get cut down. But Galatea rolled to her right and the blade bit the ground. She tried to get up and move away as fast a possible, but Gino didn't give her such a chance. He adjusted his grip on the knife and aimed the brass rings at the small Kirlia. With tremendous amount of force, he punched Galatea in her abdomen.

"GALATEA!" cried Phillip.

Time slowed down as she seemed to float in the air, her eyes were wide open and her mouth slightly ajar. His link to her, which he had felt since the first day they met, suddenly was absent. With a crash, she hit ground and rolled to a stop.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD! I'M GONNA KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!" roared Phillip.

Gino stood still for a moment. His outstretched arm blocked his eyes from Phillip's point of view, but then slowly, he relaxed and brought it back down. He replaced the blade back into his jacket and ran a hand down the front of his face to steady himself. He looked back at Phillip and smiled.

"Tough words from a guy whose got about 8 min to live" he said simply. He looked around the area, as if appraising his own work. Then, unexpectedly, he began to walk away back into the woods that he had appeared from. As he did so, he reached into his pocket and drew out something. Phillip saw it was a card with Team Flares' insignia. Gino haphazardly threw it onto the ground next to him.

"Just so you are of use to us when they find your corpse kid."

"Where the hell do you think you're going!?" hissed Phillip. It was getting harder to breath as the poison spread through his body.

"Well you're of no use to me personally now are you?" responded Gino with a small laugh. "I don't kill half dead trash like you. After all where's the fun in that? I'll let the poison handle the rest."

"You're sick! Doing all of this just for kicks! You and the rest of the scum like you!" yelled Phillip in a weakening voice.

To his surprise, Gino stopped walking and stood still for a moment. Then he turned and walked back to where Phillip was lying on the ground. He braced himself for the end that he anticipated, but Gino only stopped next to him, looking down on him with those cold eyes. His smile was absent from his face. He got down on one knee and grabbed Phillip's hair, bringing the young man's head to level with his own. If he could, Phillip would have gouged his eyes out, but Gino pinned his right arm under his left foot and grabbed the other with right hand.

"You know, I kinda like you Phillip. You have spunk unlike the others I've done in so I'll tell you a little secret to see you off. Do I have fun with this? Oh yes. You bet I do. Nothing makes me feel more alive than seeing the life leave someone's eyes. It's such a thrill. But that's not the only reason why me and the others are doing this." He leaned closer to Phillip until all he could see were his cold eyes.

"All of creation will become one" he said in a low tone. "Under the rule of the fallen."

Phillip wondered what the hell that meant before Gino suddenly slammed his face back down into the ground. He saw stars and tasted the bitter dirt. He waited for Gino to finish him off, but nothing happened. He heard the thugs steps get fainter as he walked away. Eventually, they disappeared entirely.

With great effort, he threw his right shoulder up and rolled over onto his back and looked up at the sky. His body was almost completely numb. He still had some control over his right arm but that was about it. Any moment now the toxin would hit either his heart or brain and it would be over. He rolled his head to one side and saw Galatea laying where she had fallen. She hadn't moved and he couldn't tell if she was breathing or not. He looked back at the sky and cursed to himself.

"Great… now I got us both killed. This is such bullshit… If I'm supposed to die then fine… but why the hell does she have to..? I should have left her back at the Center or with the Professor. Fuck me… I couldn't even save the fucking dragon-"

A small growl answered. He turned his head back to where the noise had come from and saw two claws standing next to him, albeit shaking. Looking up, he met Gabite's eyes. Dried blood was all over its mouth and midsection where it was been beaten. A small gash on the right side of its face ran from the bottom of its jaw up past it right eye. But what caught his attention, was a small cylinder that it was holding in its jaws. It opened its mouth and dropped the item into Phillip's right hand. It was needle with a blue liquid floating inside of it. He looked up and met the dragon's eyes, and realized this was what it must have been after when it attacked its former master. It cocked its head to the left, as if asking him if he trusted it or not.

"Heh, there's no point in poisoning a dying man…" he said. Putting the needle in his mouth, he removed the protective cap. There was no time to find a good vein. He jabbed himself in his left shoulder and pressed down on the instrument, injecting what was hopefully an antidote. He waited for a moment and after a few minutes wondered if he had been wrong. Gabite simply stared quietly. But then, small pricks of pain came from his left arm. It felt like a fire was spreading through it and it was painful as hell, but he could move it again. With his new found mobility, he rolled onto his stomach and looked around desperately. His bag was where he had left it, about seven yards away. He dragged himself forward on his arms and made his way towards it. He had to get to the medicine inside to save her. He would have dashed for the bag but his legs were still unresponsive. He was halfway, two thirds, and finally, he made it. He opened the bag and brought out a revive and a max potion he had gotten in the city. He turned and made his way to Galatea as fast as possible. The feeling in his legs came back and using them to push from behind, he made it the rest of the way to her.

He picked her up and looked her over. She was breathing, but barely. A giant bruise from where she had gotten hit was on her midsection and was bleeding. He applied both medicines and waited for what seemed an agonizingly long time. He prayed, but he honestly had no idea to whom.

"Please come back! Come on! Please!" he said as tears welled up in his eyes. Not again. He didn't want this to happen again.

Finally, a small cough came from the Pokemon in his arms. It was no exaggeration to say that it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. She opened her eyes and as they regained focus, realized Phillip was over her.

_"You're… alive..?"_

"Dumbass that's what I should be asking you! What were you thinking? You could've gotten yourself killed dammit! You should hav-!"

Galatea reached up with her shaking right arm and pressed her finger to her lips to silence him. _"I was thinking... of saving my friend... stupid...But the poison..? How did you..?"_

Phillip suddenly remembered. He looked up expecting to see Gabite staring at them but was met with an empty space where it had been standing. It had vanished entirely.

"The Gabite... it gave me the antidote. It was here a second ago but now... I don't understand. How did it leave with all those injuries?"

Galatea, her body recovering, suddenly jumped onto the ground from Phillip's arms. She winced in pain from the bruise left on her abdomen as she landed but stayed on her feet. She looked around their surroundings and if she was searching for something.

_"She's still close by"_ she said. _"I can feel it. We have to move fast or we won't make it." _

"What do you mean?" asked Phillip as he stood up.  
_ "She didn't leave here to escape. She left to find a resting place. A _final _resting place."_

Pain. Every inch of her body was burning with agonizing pain. As Gabite worked her way deeper into the woods, she cursed her broken body as it gradually grew heavier. It wasn't as if she was unaccustomed to feeling like this. Even before she had been sold to Gino - that bastard - she had been used by the humans for their sick sport. The pain she felt now could very well be punishment from above for what she had inflicted on others during those times. The agony brought those memories back to her in vivid detail. The screams of her opponents as she bit and slashed at them. The cheering from that maniacal crowd outside the steel cage she called home as she tore and was torn in turn. If she had won in their disgusting fights, then she would be fed. If not, she had been starved for days on end with only the smallest bit of water to keep her from crossing the threshold of death's door.

_Hmph _she thought to herself. _I guess they had to protect their investment. If only a little. _

But still, even those brutal days were better than the two years she had been forced to work for Gino. Back in those fights at least there had been some form of honor to be had. As bloody and cruel as it was, she had found that much. But with Gino, who killed the weak and defenseless, she had been reduced to nothing but an accomplice to murder. How could she have found dignity in what she had to do? She didn't even know why she did it.

None of that mattered now though. The fights, Gino, and even the agony she was in right now didn't matter. It wouldn't be long now before she bled out from all her wounds. Honestly, it was a surprise she was even still alive. But today was full of surprises – like that trainer and his Kirlia. She could tell they were still newbies when it came to fighting. But even so, they had adapted quickly and made short work of her – though the beating Gino had given her the day before for messing up during training didn't help.

She smiled a toothy grin and a small curled cry, the equivalent of a Gabite's laughter, escaped her jaws. How she wished she could see the look on his face when he realizes that she had fucked up his perfect track record of leaving no survivors. She had saved the couple out of respect, yes, but also for one final chance to get back at the punk who had made her miserable for two years now. At the end of her life, at least, she could find some sense of satisfaction in that.

Something caught her eye to the left and she saw through the brush a small clearing where a lone tree stood. A break in the canopy allowed the sun to pour into the small area, illuminating it with a gentle light. A good a place as any to end her days.

She took a step forward, but then fell to the ground as her weary and broken legs finally gave in to the inevitable. Try as she might, they refused to budge and laid worthlessly on the ground. No, she had chosen where she wanted to be and that was where she was going. Using her arms she clawed her way through the brush and into the clearing. She had never had a choice in her life. Ever since the human's had caught her and used her like a tool, she had all but forgotten the taste of freedom. Well here and now, she would finally choose for herself without anyone telling her what to do. She would choose this place to die and to hell with the rest of the world.

Finally, reaching the trunk, she curled up at its base, allowing the warm light to bathe her in it's glow. A sense of peace the likes of which she had not felt in years came over her. The sounds and smells of the forest filled her senses. She smiled to herself as she enjoyed the simple pleasures of being alive after being dead for all those years. Slowly, the sensation of the heat from the light left her. Her eyes became unbearably heavy and she began to close them. She swore she heard something running along the brush, but she paid it no attention. Finally, she thought to her self, she was free once again.

The first thing that caught her attention was a crackling noise. Then, as if she had been holding her breath without knowing, she took a huge gulp of air. She noticed the smell of smoke entering her nostrils as the acrid taste went down her throat and into her lungs. She could hear voices, one human and one not. With a start, she opened her eyes and was met with the sight of flames in front of her. Behind them, she saw two figures moving around. On instinct, she tried to stand up and get away but a sharp pain as she did caused her to fall back to earth. She crawled away from the fire and the two figures as fast as she could until she hit something behind her.

"GAB GAB GABII!" she yelled at her would be attackers. She tried to stand again but her legs buckled under her once again.

"Holy shit - calm down!" came a male voice.

"Kir kiri!" said a second, much more squeaky voice.

As her eyes focused to the light, she realized that she knew the two in front of her. It was that damn trainer from earlier and the Kirlia. They were both staring at her and looked anxious as all hell. She tried to move again, to get back on her feet but failed for a third, fucking time. This was getting old...

"Don't move or you're going to open up your wounds" warned the human.

She looked down and realized with a shock that all of her wounds had been treated and bandaged. Even the bleeding wound on her abdomen had been wrapped up in layers of white fabric, though a small stain of angry red now appeared on it. Slowly, her shock and anxiety left her as she go a hold of herself. She looked back up at the trainer and asked him a question in her native tongue.

"Gab gabi bite?" (Did you do this?)

"Yeah... um I don't speak Gabite so..." came his response. Out of the corner of her eye, the small Kirlia made a movement with her arms. Then, its eyes glowed a faint purple, and new found realization showed up on the man's face.

"Oh. Yeah that was me. They're not that great though so don't push it. It's not like I'm a nurse or anything. By the way – here" He walked over to her. She braced herself for a fight, but he stopped three feet from her. He pushed a plate of food towards her. She looked down at it, and then eyed him suspiciously without touching it.

_We didn't do anything to it if that's what you're wondering _suddenly said a voice in her head. She jumped slightly at it, but turned her eyes to the only possible source. The Kirlia was staring directly at her, her eyes once again emanating a faint glow. _We only wanted to repay you for helping us back there. _

"Gab? Gabite bite bite gab?" (What? So now you're in my head?)

"Kiri. kir lia lia." (Yes. And so is Phillip by the way)

She turned towards the human with a glare. He didn't look away or appear nervous. He just sort of looked at her with mild curiosity, but overall seemed indifferent about her. He walked back and sat back down next to his companion. She refocused her attention on the psychic type.

"Gab bite gabite bite?"she asked. (How do I know you're not up to something?)

"Because if we were, then we would have done it while you were asleep" came the flat response from the human. He put his hands out to warm them by the fire. "Don't worry. There's nothing crazy going on. As soon as we know you're fit to move, then you can go wherever you want. I just wanted to pay you back is all."

_That's why we came looking for you. If we had been any slower, then you wouldn't have survived. Luckily I was able to track you down following your psychic trail. _

"The trail of blood drops helped too though" added the human as he warmed up his hands.

She took one last look at the odd pair, and sniffed the food in front of her. Suddenly, she realized that she was starving and began to eat the mixture of vegetables and beef. She had never tasted something so good. It was much better than the slob she had been given at the fights. And infinitely better than what Gino gave her. It only took her a few minutes to finish her meal before finally stopping to look back up at the pair. They were staring at her, but not out of mistrust or anything like that. She knew what they wanted.

"Gabi gabite bit bite?" she asked as she stared back at them. (What do you want to know?) 

"Well... I don't mean to sound ungrateful but why the hell did you save us?" asked the human.

She kept her response simple. "Gab bite bite bite gab." (Because my previous master was an asshole and I wanted to screw him over.)

_ By... saving us..? _asked the Kirlia in a confused tone.

"Gabite gabite gab gab bite. Gag? Bite bite gabite?" (He's very proud of his "kill record" as he calls it. It's the best I could do on short notice. Why? Would you have preferred the alternative? )

"Hmph," said the human. "Hell no. No complaints here." He turned his attention back to the fire and started to add a few more sticks to keep it going. The Kirlia kept an eye on her, but didn't say anything. They seemed harmless enough. But now she had a question for them as well.

"Gabite bite gabite? gab ite bite bite gab?" (So what now? Are you my master?)

"Again, hell no" said the human without moving his eyes away from his work. "Like I said, whenever you're ready to leave, you can leave. The choice is yours. I'm not interested in catching Pokemon"

She couldn't help but cock her head to the left out of confusion. She thought all humans were obsessed in some way about her kind. Their whole fucking world was built around them. To be honest, she found the whole thing a little creepy.

_He's a bit unique... in that sense, _said the Kirlia as she shrugged her shoulders.

"You make me sounds like some kind of weirdo..." said the human flatly.

The Kirlia giggled at his reaction and in a flash, teleported to the top of his head and hugged it tight.

_But you're my weirdo! _

"Dammit Galatea! You're gonna mess up my hair!"

T_o mess it up it has to be styled in the first place! _

"Screw you!" he said as he tried to shake her off. 

The two went on for a few minutes as the Kirlia called Galatea teased the human. He seemed angry, but the way Galatea smiled and giggled, Gabite figured this was normal for them. It was strange. This kind of relationship between Pokemon and humans was something she had heard about but never experienced. All she had known was what it was like to be a tool for fighting. A weapon to be appraised for her power and lethality and not for her character. Then again, all the humans she had met before now had been unapologetic monsters so a bond with any of them had been out of the question.

"Are you okay..?" asked the human.

She realized with a start that the two had stopped fooling around and were looking at her again.

"Gabite. Gab bite" she said brushing it off. (I'm fine. Don't worry about it)

The Kirlia, Galatea, climbed off her trainer and walked up to her. Gabite didn't move, but did keep her guard up as she approached. She leaned close to her face until all Gabite could see were her red eyes staring intently at her. The thought of biting her came to mind out of habit and suspicion, but she held back. Nothing good would come from something like that – not with her body beaten and broken. But it felt strange. As Galatea stared into her with those red eyes, it was like she was staring into her soul. The whole thing was a little unsettling. Then, a small smile spread over Galatea's face.

_You wanna come with?_ she asked happily.

Both Gabite and the human - Gino had called him Phillip if she remembered - both looked at Galatea as if she had grown a second head.

"I – wha- huh!?" managed to say the human. Gabite was just as shocked as he was and didn't say a word. Galatea turned to face her trainer.

_Come on! This would work out great! You would make another friend! _

"But I don't want to make _another _friend!" said Phillip.

For some reason, that statement caused a small pang of jealousy in Gabite's chest. Didn't want to make _another _friend? Hell – if she could she'd be happy to have _someone _in the her life who wasn't a total asshole. As the two in front of her argued back and forth, she wondered why she was here in the first place. The world had always been unkind to her. It had never given her a break but now, after resigning herself to death, she had experience more kindness than she had in all her previous years combined since being taken away from her native home. It made her want to cry out of frustration. Why the fuck is the world so screwed up? Why does it feel like she's being toyed with? But still, she couldn't ignore the fact that unlike the others, this awkward human and his Pokemon had been kind to her. And she liked it, to be honest.

"Look! You haven't even asked her what she wants yet! Does she even want to come?!" asked Phillip.

Galatea turned to face her. She stared intently at her. _He's right. What do you want? Like he said before, the choice is yours. You don't have to come with us. You can leave right now if you want. But I hope... _the mental voice trailed off.

The Gabite looked at the Kirlia and then turned to face Phillip. On the outside, he seemed opposed to the idea and an irritated look showed on his face. But she had learned to spot liars a mile away in her life. Expect in this case, she felt he was lying to himself more than her and didn't even know it. He was an oddball, that much was certain. Even so though...

"Gab bite bite." (Meh. Count me in.)

Galatea cried out in joy and twirled. Phillip, not knowing what to say, mouthed a few broken words, before sighing and giving into the inevitable.

"Gabite gabite. Bite gab bite gabite," she added. (But only for now. Try to catch me in one of those stupid balls and you'll regret it.)

"Well... this ended up in a weird way," he said with a tired tone in his voice. "You don't even know where we're going."

"Gab bite bite." (I don't care.)

"How do you know I'm not some kind of asshole like Gino?"

"Gabite bite bite gabite gabite." (Now you're just bullshitting me.)

"Heh... I guess you're right" he admitted. "Do you have a name?"

"Gab bite" (Trash)

Galatea and Phillip both fell silent when they heard that and an appalled look grew over their faces. It's obvious they were expecting anything but that answer. Of course, it was another way Gino had tried to break her down into his perfect little weapon.

"Well that's not staying I can tell you that. With those fighting skills and sheer willpower you are anything but trash... Would you like us to come up with something for you?"

"Gabit," (Whatever).

He fell silent and turned the psychic Pokemon next to him. Galatea's eye's glowed a faint red as she assumed they spoke telepathically. After a few minutes, a small smile broke on the pale Pokemon's face. Phillip looked back up at her – he neither smiled or betrayed any form of emotion.

"Athena. You're name will be Athena. At least while you're with us."

She had never heard that name before, and much less though someone would give her a name like that. It sounded... pleasant but strong. It was the only way to describe it.

_It's the name of a warrior goddess in ancient myth. I think it suites you perfectly don't you? _asked Galatea with a smile.

Before she answered Gabite – or rather Athena she now guessed – tried again to stand on her feet, half expecting them to give way. To her surprise, was finally able to stand on her shaking legs. She winced as needles of pain shot up through her body, but she stood defiantly. Hopefully, a sign of good things to come.

"Gab bite bite Gab," she said as she stood as tall as possible. (I can accept that.)

Galatea squealed in delight at having a new companion. Phillip flashed a small smile before turning back to stare into the flames in front of him as they danced.

"Then welcome ," he said, "goddess from the battlefield." 


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone. I know it's been a while but I am still working on this story and intend to finish it. **

**A couple of changes I've made are eliminating italics as much as possible. Since there is a Psychic type involved in the core of the story, I'm simply writing converstaions the main character has between him and any Pokemon he is traveling with as if he were talking with other humans. He can read their thoughts since he is connected to them via Galatea. Let me know if this works or if there are better ways to go about this. **

**Thanks!**

**Disclaimer; I do not own any rights to Pokemon. Any rights to their respective owners. **

I will Protect You (Cross My Heart) Chapter 6

The air still smelled of morning dew as they walked along a small winding path through the forest. The canopy, made by large trees with trunks so wide it would be impossible for a human to wrap their arms around them, covered them in a cool shade. Small breaks in it allowed trickels of sunlight to break through, casting small amber pools on the forest floor. The occasional skittering of unseen animals in the brush and the morning call of birds high above them were signs of the forest waking up to a new dawn. After what they had been through yesterday, Phillip could appreciate the calm atmosphere around them. Or at least he would have except...

"Give me back my hair clip you jerk!"

"Then apologize for shoving me asshole!"

"Not before you apologize for drooling on me!"

"I didn't force you to sleep next to me!"

The two Pokemon he was with now, Galatea and Athena, had been at it all morning. It had started when in the morning, Galatea had woken up to find Athena had drooled on her arm. How they had ended up next to each other was anyone's guess. He could have sworn the two of them had been at least four feet apart. Anyhow, when Galatea had woken up to the sight, she instinctively shoved the Gabite away with a Confusion attack. Needless to say, Athena had not been happy to be woken up that way. And now, a couple of minutes ago, Athena had managed to snatch Galatea's hairclip from her when the small Kirlia had let her guard down. Galatea, right now, was in the process of chasing around the small dragon to reclaim her beloved item.

"Phillip! Say something!"

Galatea's cry snapped him back to reality. The two of them were staring at him, waiting for him to say something. He regarded them quietly for a few moments, his stare leveled at the two of them. He felt more annoyed than anything else, but then again that could just be Galatea's emotions passing onto him. He could never tell sometimes with her...

He sighed and walked up to Athena. The small dragon kept her yellow reptilian eyes locked onto his own and he saw her muscles tense ever so slightly. A sign of the mistreatment she had suffered in the past, no doubt. He knelt down in front of her, his right hand opened under her jaws.

"Give it here, and apologize for taking it from her" he said flatly.

The dragon eyes flashed in anger and embarrassment, but after a few seconds of glaring, she opened her jaws and the drool covered clip fell into Phillip's hand.

"Sorry," Athena muttered.

"Yay! I knew you'd-" began Galatea.

"Now you," interrupted Phillip as he turned to face her, "apologize for this morning to her."

Galatea's face froze, and then broke into a frown and, from what he could feel, followed by a torrent of frustration and indignation.

"But she stole my clip and drooled on me!" she cried.

"You sent her flying into a tree without any provocation. It's a wonder her wounds didn't open up when you did," was his response. He really, _really, _did not have time for this bull.

Galatea looked back and forth between him and Athena and, after a few more moments, finally hung her head and gave up.

"Sorry for attacking you this morning..." she muttered.

Athena said nothing, but nodded in acceptance.

"Now that that's settled," said Phillip as he stood, "let's keep moving. We still have a ways to go."

* * *

He handed back the clip to Galatea and once again, they were on their way. Within moments, the quiet atmosphere let Phillip's mind wander. Inevitably, it turned back to yesterday's events – and what he had discussed with Sycamore last night.

_The night before_

He had waited until the two of them had fallen asleep. Athena had curled up along the fire in a fetal position, probably to minimize the pain from her many serious wounds. Galatea slept next to him as she had grown accustomed to, and her head now laid on his lap. Her mouth hug slightly open as she breathed lightly. Occasionally, she would nestle her head into her makeshift pillow, sighing happily as she did so. Watching the two of them sleep peacefully made Phillip want to close his eyes and drift away as well, but still, there was something he had to do. As gently as he could, he lifted the small Kirlia's head enough for him to place his bundled up jacket under her head. After waiting a few minutes to check if she woke up, he stood up and walked towards the treeline. He walked into the forest until he felt sure he was out of earshot and reach into his pocket. He pulled out his Pokenav and selected Sycamore's number. Instantly, a small hologram flashed to life in front of him and the device began to ring. Phillip doubted the guy would pick up, especially this late at night. If he had any sense he would be sleepi-

His doubts were shattered as the default hologram image was replaced with Sycamore's face. The man had dark circles under his puffy red eyes and hair was in a mess. Papers scrawled with notes and data were strewn all over the portion of his desk that was visible in the holo. A couple were moist with drool where Sycamore's head had probably been resting moments before. It struck Phillip as ironic how dishevealed he looked, considering his sense of style.

"Phillip..?" he asked as he stifled a yawn. "What are you doing calling this late?"

"Oh you know, just wanted to shoot the breeze and whatnot" he said sarcastically.

His response produced a small chuckle from the man in the screen as the man rubbed his eyes to clear away their fatigue.

"No offense but... you never struck me as the type" he said with a small smile.

"True. Anyway, the real reason I'm calling you is because I wanted to let you know that we were attacked today."

"Well – I did tell you this was a dangerous journey you were undertaki-"

"By a human," interjected Phillip, "He tried to kill me and Galatea."

Sycamore's face froze in place, then a mixture of fear and apprehension crept over him. His eyes snapped into focus.

"Tell me everything. _Now_." he said with added emphasis.

"Shouldn't you get a police officer or-?" began Phillip.

"No - not right now anyway. Now tell me everything. We don't have time to waste."

He was taken aback by Sycamore. There was no sign of the carefree and, he had to admit, warm nature the scientist always displayed. Now, the man's eyes bore into him, as if screaming at him to start elaborating. With a sigh, he relented and began to talk over what had happened earlier that day.

It took Phillip about an hour to go over everything. He didn't expect it to take so long, but Sycamore kept asking for every detail. Gino's height, build, anything unique about his personality and features. Phillip kept going over the same details over and over until he had grown sick of it. This conversation was almost like...

"Hold on a second," he said finally, "Isn't this the kind of discussion I should be having with the police? Like I _wanted_ to in the beginning."

Sycamore kept his face straight, he betrayed neither his thoughts or feelings.

"I don't want you talking with the police, Phillip. I'll give this information to them as an anonymous source."

The statement was such a shock, it actually took him a few moments to process it. He opened his mouth a few times to try and say something, but nothing came out. Seeing that he was speechless, Sycamore kept the conversation going.

"Phillip, I'm going to be honest with you and let you in on something not known to many people. Tell me, do you remember when those attacks on trainers ended?"

"The last one was about two years ago... right? I remember it was all over the news back then. But that does this have to do with it? I thought they caught the guys behind them. I heard they were executed."

Sycamore sat back into his chair – his eyes as sharp as daggers. The look on his face was dark and foreboding.

"That's right Phillip. That's what everyone was told. But if you delve into it and you know who to ask, nobody can produce solid, irrefutible evidence that the ones accused of the killings were actually responsible. All of the suspects were former or current Team Flare members – so it was easy to get the public to condemn them. It also gave the Kalosian government an easy way out of a sticky situation."

Phillip's eyes were wide with horror. His breath came in short bursts as a sense of anxiety and a numbing cold swept over him. Any sane person woujld hae ended the conversation there and then – but something in him kept telling to keep going. He had to – wanted to – know more.

"But how can you know all of this?" he asked.

"I have my contacts. After all, I'm the leading researcher in Kalos. I've made sure to make friends with people to keep me in the loop on government workings and dealings. They do, after all, play a part in my work. And besides-"

Sycamore stopped – a sudden darkness coming over his features. He placed his hand over his eyes, as if steading himself.

"Some of those trainers who were murdered were ones I sent out myself."

"I heard... I'm... sorry" said Phillip. It felt like nothing – a small token – compared to the pain that played itself out over Sycamore's features.

"But then – if you're right and they never caught them, then why did the real killers stop?"

"It's simple Phillip," said Sycamore, regaining his composure. "They never did stop."

"But that's impossible! Then how come I haven't heard about anything on the news stations about new murders?! They have to have stopped!"

"No Phillip – they stopped being reported" said Sycamore.

"I – wha – I don't understand. _Why _would they not report on them?!" exclaimed Phillip.

"Phillip... when the "first" wave of these killings began, people were outraged. They protested in the streets, demanding that the government do something about them. When it seemingly failed, there was talk about voting out all of the elected officials and expelling the representatives of the World Government which proved just as worthless at handling the situation. Some people even talked about overturning the entire system. It was a matter of survival for the Kalosian government. After they supposedly caught and executed these "murderes", any new killings were either kept secret or explained away as freak accidents. Believe me, I've seen the reports – the _real _ones."

"And you sent me out here without any warning?" he asked with a tinit of anger in his voice.

"I'm sorry Phillip... I honestly thought you would be safer than most since you would be deep in areas most other humans would never tread."

"Shit... We'll I guess you were wrong on that..." he said with a bitter voice, "So... does that mean I'm the first survivor then? Everyone else whose been attacked got killed outright?" he asked warily.

"That's right – which is why you can't go talking to the police. You need to tread carefully on this. You can't share it with anyone. The fact that you're alive is a threat to the delicate system Kalos has in place to ensure stability and civil compliance. If you spread this then it's not just this Gino person you'll need to look out for..."

"This is all sounding like conspiracy crap you hear from tabloids and guys in aluminum hats..." he muttered.

Sycamore managed a small chuckle at the comment.

"Everyone and everything has secrets. The bigger they are, the bigger the sacrifices to keep them hidden away. And vice versa, the more you must be willing to risk to expose them."

Phillip looked back in the camp's direction – a small amount of light bled through the trees from the fire they had he be willing to risk himself? Would he risk them as well..?

"Okay... I understand. I'll let you handle this then. I'll treat Athena's wounds myself. We have the medicine for it. After that, we'll keep moving to the mountains. We should be there is about a week or so. I'll contact you when we make it."

"Von voyage," said Sycamore with a smile. "And Phillip – thank you for trusting me."

"I trust you more than the police. But don't let that go to your head..."

"Hahaha! You wound me so! Until we chat again!"

The communicator shut off, and once again the silence of the night wrapped itself around him. His mind swirled with what he had just heard. This whole thing was madness incarnate. How in the hell had a research job turned into something this malicious? Alone, he might have actually felt better about the whole thing. Being responsible for himself and himself alone was always the better option. But now, he had not one, but _two_, others who were following him down that same road. In the end, it didn't matter that they had made the choice on their own. He wouldn't say he thought of them as close, despite the fact he had told Galatea otherwise. It was bitter, and he had to admit cruel, that he had lied to her about his friendship. But he had found out the hard way that even the best of friendships could hide venom underneath. But the thought of them being hurt infuriated him all the same. And today, all of them had almost gotten killed. What's worse, he had been useless – nothing but a liability...

He shook his head in frustration, trying to straighten his thoughts out. He hadn't asked anyone to come with him. Why did he even bring Galatea with him and allowed Athena to tag along? And yet he couldn't even do anything to protect himself! Let alone others. _Again._

He had to get stronger, if not for himself then to make sure he didn't drag anyone else down. If what Sycamore said was true, there was no telling what the future had in store for any of them. They had to be ready for what they knew was coming, and for what might also come. With that thought in mind, he began to walk back towards the faint amber light of the camp, his footsteps echoing erily through the night. Maybe it was just because of what Sycamore told him, but suddenly he felt uneasy. Like something was watching, from the shadows... He shook off the ominous feeling. Now was not the time for him to lose his head.

_ Those who wish for peace, prepare for war. _

_The present day. Noon time. _

"Lunch! Finally!" cried Athena with joy. As soon as Phillip had handed over the plate of dried meat and broth, the dragon shoved her head into the food, gorging herself happily.

"Athena! Where are your manners!?" gasped Galatea.

"Huh? W'as tha'?" said the dragon with a full mouth.

"Uck. Nevermind..." Galatea muttered, but Phillip could see a small smile at the corners of her mouth. Despite what she might say, Galatea had grown a liking to the newcomer regardless of what had happened in the morning. And the same was true for Athena, though maybe not as much. The two of them bickered like one would expect sisters to do so. There was conflict for sure, but also a bond.

The three of them ate their food, looking over the landscape as they did so. They had chosen a small hill to rest on. The land around them was lush with the air clean and untainted with the smells of civilization. The peace they enjoyed now was in shapr contrast to what they had experienced yesterday.

"Hey Phil. Can I ask you something?" came Athena's voice.

"Huh? Yeah what?"

"All those stories you know. They came from people called the Greeks right? Where did you find out about them?"

"The orphanage. There was a volunteer who came by to read to us. She took a liking to me and encouraged me to read the stories."

"Huh. I thought you were Mr. Loner. Why change your attitude for her? Did you have a thing for her?" the dragon asked with a small grin.

Phillip noticed Galatea look at him, waiting intently for an answer.

"She was 9 years older than me you idiot. So no. It was just something I did out of interest. Nothing more."

"Huh. So then where were these Greek guys from? Where did they exactly live?"

"Beats me," he said between mouthfulls of food.

"Wait. You know their stories but nothing about them?" asked Galatea.

"Read the abridged version, huh?" remarked Athena.

"No ass. And how do you know what an abridged version is anyhow?"

"Fuck you. That's how," sniped the dragon.

"Hey! That's not nice!" exclaimed Galatea.

"Oh really? What you have a problem now?" growled the dragon as she stood up.

"Yeah – and it's you!" cried Galatea.

Before the two of them got into another fight, Phillip threw his backpack between the would be combatans It landed with a thud between the two, startling them. They looked back at him and were met with an icy glare. It was enough to calm them down and they sat back down.

"Anyway..." he continued. "No one knows where they were from. All we have are their legends. We don't know for sure where they're from."

"But then... where did the stories come from?" asked Galatea.

"From what I understand, their myths were found on tablets hidden in some ruins deep in a desert on the other side of the globe."

"So... they lived there?" came Athena's growl.

"No. Those ruins were from an entirely different culture. From their stories, the Greeks, if they existed, were a sea faring people for the most part. And their legends talk about other countries around them that we can't find any trace of."

"Could those desert people have written them Phillip? Maybe as fictional stories for something?" asked Galatea.

"Maybe. I guess that's what most researchers are leaning towards. The ruins mentioned all the treasures inside them were gifts from an "oracle of the ancestors". At least, I think that's what it was. Other's think that these are signs of a lost history. Something we have forgotten. The volunteer was one of those people. She always hoped to find some lost record and reveal more about us as a species. She was a bit of a dreamer..."

"You guys sure are forgetful..." remarked the dragon.

"Is that so? Then tell us about your illustrious history then?" he replied.

The dragon, in the middle of taking another bite of her meal, suddenly stopped. She turned to him, her piercing eyes glaring into him.

"I was taken from my family at a young age. After that, I had to fight in cage matches for _human_ enjoyment," she took another bite of her food and swallowed it just as fast, "If I won, I was fed and healed. If I lost, I was starved and beaten. After a few years, I was sold to that asshole you met yesterday. He had me attacking people and their Pokemon like I was some kind of a fucking I met you two and now I'm here. I don't have a history worth remebering." The dragon then took another bite of her meal, as if nothing had happened. Phillip felt some guilt for asking her in the first place. He should have suspected something like this the moment he saw her traveling with scum like Gino.

"So Galatea, what about you? What's your deal?" asked the dragon as she finished her last bits of food.

"I had a family... But my parents got taken away by trainers... And then I got seperated from my siblings. I was alone until I met Phillip," she said with a frown on her face. She brought her knees to her chest and held them, her face contoring in pain at the memories. "But... after Phillip found me, I stopped being lonely. So I'm okay!" she said with a fake smile on her face. Both he and Athena could see the obvious lie – she still missed her family and if he was completely honest, Phillip made a poor substitute no matter how you cut it.

He instinctively got up to go comfort her, but then he was surprised when Athena got up and walked over to her first. Galatea looked up at her, a small tear trailing down her white cheek. Athena lifted a claw, and gently patted her companion's head.

"Don't cry. You'll get snot everywhere dork..." she growled.

The small Pokemon was quiet for a moment – unsure of what to say. She wiped away her tear, and a small smile – a real one – came over her face.

"Thanks, big sis" she added.

"You're welcome, little shrimp," the dragon replied.

"What!? You're so mean!" cried the Kirli with indignation.

Athena let out a deep laugh. "I never told you I was nice _shrimp_!"

The two of them laughed at one another for a while. Phillip only watched them, glad that Galatea had someone else to rely on. Athena, despite everything she had gone through, would make a better friend for her and vice versa. They all shared in the same pain of loss, but they had managed to move on from it. He, on the other hand, felt like he had never lived a day since that night.

"What about you Phil?" came Athena's voice. Phillip looked up and met her yellow eyes. Galatea was also staring at him, but with a look of hesitation on her face. She probabbly knew what he was going to say.

"Yeah... I don't talk about my past." he said simply. He looked away, hoping that his simple response would quash Athena's curiosity. Instead of silence though, he was met with more questions.

"We all have memories we'd like to forget... What so bad about yours?" growled the dragon.

Phillip closed his eyes and tried to push down the anger that slowly began to build up. He never liked to bring up the topic and liked others probing into it even less. But he had to give her something to shut her up.

"I lived at an orphanage for most of my childhood," he spat, "Put two and two together. It's not fucking rocket science." Athena's eyes narrowed. She wanted to know more, but before she could ask or demand why he had snapped, Galatea placed her hand over her arm. The dragon looked back and Galatea shook her head, warning her not to go further.

"Hmph. Fine," she said grunted, "I won't force you to spill your guts. I'm not a fucking therapist." She walked away from him and laid down in the sunlight, warming up her body. Galatea stared at him, but he said nothing to her.

The night air mixed with the burning smell of the fire that they had built before going to sleep. Galatea looked up at the stars and wondered just how many there could be. Before she could think about it, her mind wandered to her family. Where were they? Were they still okay? Could they be looking up at these same stars, wondering about her? Did they miss her as much as she missed them? All of these questions demanded and answer, but she had none to give. It was something that bothered her a lot in the back of her mind. Speaking of which...

She rolled to her side and looked at the tree Phillip slept next to, propping himself against it's trunk, his right hand close to the dagger he kept. He was another question without an answer. All she knew about him was the small bits she had managed to pull out of him – but it was like trying to pull a Dugtrio out of the ground. He kept everything closed off, even his mind. Whatever past memories dwelled inside his head, he kept them far away from everyone, including himself. She had tried to look into his mind a couple of times, but never made it too far. In fact, the farthest she ever went was back to the day that he had saved her. Everything before that was nothing but a black void, and who knew what lurked at the bottom. But then... did she really want to know..?

"You can't sleep either?" A growling voice snapped her back to reality. She looked around and saw Athena, very much awake, looking at her from across the fire.

"Y-yeah..." she said softly, "I guess not."

"Well, if that's the case," said the dragon as she got up on, "Let's go for a walk. Might do us some good."

"Huh? But what about Phillip?" she asked her companion.

"Oh please. If he was attacked," she nodded at the knife he still held in his hand, " I'd be more worried about the poor dumbass that tried than him. Beside... I wanted to talk to you in private."

Galatea hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do, but in the end she got up and followed the dragon. The two of them walked in silence as they made their way through the grouping of small trees until they came into an open field. It was covered in wildflowers and the scent of their mixed aromas was almost overwhelming. Athena stopped as they entered the field and looked up into the night sky. Galatea followed her gaze and same the same stars she had been staring at before, but without having to compete with the light from the fire, they shone even more brightly. They were like bits of crushed diamonds, floating in a dark sea.

"Galatea," Athena suddenly said, "Why exactly are you following this asshole?"

Galatea looked down at the dragon, shocked at the bluntness of her question. Athena only continued to look upward, as if searching for her answer there. Was she going to leave after Phillip snapped at her? Was she trying to convince her to do that also?

"Because he's my _friend_. It's that simple," she replied.

"Really? What kind of friend doesn't share his past? It's kind of shady if you ask me," she said as she turned to look at her, "Do you anything about him?"

Galatea hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "Nothing. To be honest... I don't know anything beyond what we've been through together."

Athena gave her a perplexed look. "But you're a _Psychic_ type. Are you're powers not working or something?"

"No! It's not that, it's just..." she searched for the right words. "It's just that I haven't tried pushing my way into his mind. I won't force him to tell me what he doesn't want me to know."

"That's stupid as all hell..." sighed the dragon, "You could be traveling with some kind of fucking murderer or a psycho. You're one trusting girl you know that? You better make sure that doesn't bite you in the ass."

"He's not a psycho or a murderer!", she retorted, "You should know! You were traveling with one until yesterday-!" Galatea placed her hands over her mouth, hoping she had imagined that last part. But the Gabite stared at her, long and hard with her dagger like eyes. She worried she might take a swing at her for bringing up Gino. But instead, to her suprise, the dragon looked down at the ground and let out a small sigh. Her normally tense body suddenly gave way, just a little bit. Her eyes were overcome with a look of exhaustion and the bandages that still covered her body only added to the weary look. She looked like someone who had seen so much of this world, so much cruelty, that she had had enough to last a hundred lifetimes.

"Yeah... I guess you're right. Sorry, I got a little carried away after today," she muttered.

"No, I'm sorry... I shouldn't bring up something like that. It's mean. It's just... you know he's not such a bad person right..?" she asked earnestly.

Athena looked back up at the sky. She breathed in the cold air into her lungs, maybe enjoying a sense of freedom she had long forgotten.

"Yeah... I can't really say he's the worst person in the world..." she admitted. She looked down at her, her yellow eyes looked slightly softer. "It's just... the look in his eyes. It reminds me of my past."

"What do you mean?" she asked the dragon. No offense to Athena, but it worried her that Phillip reminded her of her past at all.

"Like I told you two before, I practically grew up in a living hell," she said, "It was almost impossible just to wake up to it. And everyday, it was nothing but screaming, blood, and pain. It – it almost broke me to be honest."

"I'm... sorry" said Galatea softly, "I can't imagine the kind of pain you must have gone through..."

"Yeah... that's good that you can't. Otherwise it'd be a real fucking shame," said the dragon, "But like I said, it _almost_ broke me. I managed to survive, but for others..." Her eyes narrowed as a dark look came over her face, "The ones that did break – for some it was like watching something slowly die. First, their eyes would go empty, like their spirit and motivation to live had left them. That was the end for some of those and they would find them dead in the morning inside their cages or they would just let themselves get beaten in the fights until their bodies broke. But others..." The dragon's voice trailed off until the only sound Galatea could hear was Athena's claws grinding into the ground, as if whatever memory she was recalling caused her pain.

"What about the others?" pressed Galatea. She had to know what Athena was getting at if it meant there was a way to help him.

"For others..." continued the dragon, "Being consumed by that void drove them insane. They would lash out and attack just about anything. They wouldn't give a shit if it was another of their kind or a human that was too careless around them. They would fight and fight until they were eventually killed by someone stronger. Like... they were trying to find meaning in fighting. They didn't care about themselves anymore or the world around them, they were just trying to go out in a blaze of fucking glory. As if dying for something, even something as pointless as being a spectacle, was the only way for them to regain in death what they lost in life - a reason for existance. "

"And... you think" asked Galatea hesittantly, "That Phillip is like them?"

"It's his eyes..." said the dragon, "They're cold and he puts up a good front like nothing is bothering him, but it's obvious that something is haunting him. Behind them, hidden away, is something like that void. Like he's given up trying to be a part of this world. He's almost no better than a corpse, moving towards something but lacking a clear goal or reason in the first place. A means without an end."

"No!" exclaimed Galatea, "I refuse to accept something like that! You're saying that the only reason he saved us was because he's looking for a way to die?!"

"I'm saying" growled the dragon, "That he's lost the will to move forward. Just like those Pokemon who tried to find meaning in one last fight, he's trying to regain something he lost by putting himself in danger to help others like you and me. But the end result will still be the same at this rate." The dragon walked up to Galatea, stopping in front of and staring down at her with piercing eyes. "If he does keep this up, then he'll die as a sacrifice to his own demons."

Galatea turned away, her body shuttering as thoughts swirled through her mind like winds in a storm. She didn't want to see her friend die. There had to be a way – she felt it deep in her heart. Those Pokemon and Phillip were not the same. He had risked his life for the both of them and must have done so for something more than this. And if he was willing to risk himself for her, for them, then she had to do the same.

"Then..." she said she turned back to face her companion "I'll save him from himself and protect him from others too!" She looked up and met Athena's eyes. "I won't give up on him. He saved the two of us for a reason beyond what you're saying. He has kindness in his heart, even if he's trying to hide it. And knowing that is enough for me to stand by him from now on."

The dragon held Galatea's eyes for a moment. She had a perplexed look on her face, unable to come up with something to say. Finally, though, she closed her eyes and let out a long and exasperated sigh.

"You really are still a child you know that?" As the dragon looked back at her, Galatea was shocked to find her eyes full of indignation. As she began to speak, her words dripped with a rage that was almost venom like. "Are you so ignorant to think _you _can save him from this? Don't forget what we are to them. We're nothing but tools for their sick sports. They have us suffer and bleed for them while they stand behind us and take pride in sending us to fight our own kind. Despite the fact that he saved you and me, it's undeniable that that is the culture that he came from-"

"I don't care about any of that!" she retorted, unable to stand it any longer, "You're saying I'm ignorant? Then that would make you judgemental! You've given up like those other Pokemon! So should I do the same then!? Should I stand back and give up on him before even trying to help him?! How would that be any better!?"

"BECAUSE THEN YOU WOULDN'T BE HURT BY THEM!" screamed the dragon.

The sudden outburst caught Galatea off guard. She wanted to say something, but her mind simply would budge. Hurt by them? Did Athena _really_ think Phillip was like those humans that had mistreated her? Did she think he was like Gino? As she looked on, to her surprise, small tears began to swell up and fall from the dragons eyes. Athena quickly lowered her head, trying to hide this show of weakness.

"The happiest times of my life," began the dragon in a weak and cracking voice, "we're before I met _any_ humans... My family... my tribe... I can vaguly remember what it felt like to be a part of something. To be loved and cared for and to feel the same about others. They're the happiest memories I have, and they're nothing but a hollow echo now. Shadows crawling at the edges of my mind, torturing me rather than comforting because they remind me of what I've lost since I've met them. They remind me of what could've been..." She looked back up at Galatea, but her tears only continued to flow. "That's what they can do to you. They can take away what we care about the most. We get swept away in their lives and leave behind our own. We become what they want us to be for them, instead of what we should become for ourselves. But that's okay as far as they can see, because we become _stronger – _at least by their definition." Athena walked up to Galatea until her eyes filled the Kirlia's entire vision. "Knowing that, will you still follow him?"

A stillness came over the pair and their surroundings. Nothing, not even the smallest rustle of the leaves above, could be heard. But Galatea knew her answer – she had known her answer from the moment they had begun their talk.

"Yes," she said, "Because he's felt that same pain that we've felt. I think – no – I _know _that somewhere inside, he cares about both of us, even if he doesn't know it himself. And he will respect our dignity and pride – he won't see us just as tools.

Athena looked at her, dismayed by her simple reply. Galatea waited for her to say something, but nothing came out of the dragons jaws. Taking her chance, she pressed on.

"I know... that I'm still a child. I know that I can never understand the pain and suffering you've endured. That being said, the same goes for you. I've experienced my own pain and so has he. We each carry the weight of our past. And like you said, he's lost the will to move forward because he lost something – something that meant a lot to him. I don't know what that was, but one thing I do know is that for all the effort he puts into keeping others away, he has a good heart inside. I've seen it and so have you in your own way. And..." she trailed off. She was unsure about how this next part was going to sound, but it had to be said anyway. "Even if he hurts me – even if he shatters my heart into a millions _pieces_, every single one of those pieces will still be there for him. Because that's what it means to care for someone in my eyes."

Galatea stared back into Athena's yellow eyes. Her heart was beating so fast it was like a drum in her head. Athena betrayed no emotion on her face as it remained emotionless, but she could feel her fighting to understand what she had just heard from her. Eventually, she could feel an understnading come over her companion, though tinged with what she could only describe as bitterness. Finally, the dragon broke the awckward silence.

"Not on your own you won't," said Athena with a frustrated sigh. Galatea felt a sense of relief wash over her – something that the Gabite didn't miss. "Don't get the wrong idea," she added hastly, "I'm not saying you're right. In fact, I still think that naïve way of thinking will get you _nowhere_. But I still owe you two a favor for helping me out of that clusterfuck." With that, the dragon turned and started to walk back to their campsite. Galatea followed close behind – glad that she had managed to convince Athena for the time being – and praying with all her heart that her new companion had been wrong.

_Lumiose City _

Despite it being the middle of the night, the streets of one of the largest cities in the world were anything but dark. It was always daytime in Lumiose City – it didn't sleep or wake with the coming of the sun. Proffesor Augustine Sycamore watched from the window of his office at the top floor of his research institute, the bright lights reflecting on his gray colored eyes, the features on his face stoic. Despite all those lights, he knew that below the surface of this city, and all of Kalos for that matter, there was a shadow creeping through every edge of his country.

He had come face to face with this fact when his one time friend, Lysandre, had attempted to unleash a devastation on a titanic scale and destroy all Pokemon and most of the human population to bring about a more balance world. A world free of struggles of limited resources and free of Pokemon to be abused for that end. If he had gone about fulfilling his dream a different way, Lysandre may have led an honorable and just life, to help build a more just world. Sycamore's eyes grew dark as he worked over those thoughts in his mind. _Even the best of intentions can bring the worst of ends, _he thought.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door and then the sound of it opening. He turned and saw his assistant standing in the doorway, a tired look on her face as always.

"Sir, you really should get some sleep," she said in a testy voice. Sycamore smiled – Marsha contastantly reprimanded him for the lack of time he devoted to maintaining himself. She was one of his top researchers and had begun working for him shortly after the incident involving Lysandre had come to an end. Her help had been invaluable in his work, plus she was one of the few people here whoo treated him like another human being, and didn't tense up when they were around him.

"Not to worry Marsha!" he said waiving away her comment as a grin spread over his face, "I'll take a nap after my last appointment for today."

"It past midnight _sir_" she said with an emphasis, "This would be your first appointment for the day, not your last. Though you could do with a day off. You need some sleep, not just a nap."

"I know, I know!" he said laughing, " I'll get to it someday!"

"You know... if you keep this up, you'll start losing more than your sense of time. It might start with your hair..." she muttered as she stared at him with piercing eyes.

"Mon deux!" he exclaimed as grabbed the top of his head like a man grabbing his toupee, "That's _nothing_ to joke about!"

Martha's right eyebrow rose up as she gave him a quizzical look. "Well, that _last_ appointment just arrived. Shall I show them in Professor?"

"Ah yes! Please!" said Sycamore as he rushed to clear his desk of the mass of research papers that were strewn all over. Martha nodded and exited the room, leaving Sycamore on his own once again. His mind went back to the dark thoughts that had been consuming him as his hands slowed down on clearing the mess.

Phillip – he shouldn't have gotten involved in this. He didn't blame him for what had happened – it's not as if the young man had been looking for trouble. But Sycamore couldn't help but curse the fates that had strerred that boy into this mess. Now, if he didn't tread carefully, he might lose yet another trainer. The faces of the young men and women who had died came back to him, flooding his mind. Sycamore's hands clenched the documents he had strewn on his desk as he was overcome with guilt. He had never forgiven himself for what had happened. It was the main reason why he had not been actively recruting new trainers for years now. And it was because of that guilt that he had decided to delve into the darkness of Kalos. He had to find a way to bring justice for the trainers who had died on their journey, his own and those who had come to Kalos from foreign countries.

A new set of knocks at the door brought him back to his senses. He looked up as it opened and two men entered the room. They were here for the same reason. To bring light to the darkness – no matter the cost.

"Well Augustus, I'm surprised you called us here," said the older of the two men.

"Oh?" said Sycamore as he motioned for them to sit in the chairs in front of his desk, "And why is that Jax?"

"Normally, we're the ones to set up these little get togethers," said the second, much more brawny looking of the pair, as they sat, "And your timing is also something."

Sycamore's eyes grew narrow, and he knew immediately what that meant. "Another attack then Erwin?"

"Five, to be precise," interjected Jax, "My sources are still getting the facts in order but they've confirmed that much."

"My contacts also confirmed with me. No doubt about it and military and government agencie arre already hard at work sweeping it under the rug," added Erwin. He leaned forward, putting his right arm on Sycamore's desk, and looked right into his eyes. "But from the message, you somehow got wind of this already."

Sycamore was silent for a moment as he stared back at the pair. Both men were stony faced, but their eyes betrayed them. They wanted answers, and that's why Sycamore had brought them here.

"There's been a survivor, gentlemen. A trainer I sent out a few days ago came into contact with one of them, and lived."

Both men's eyes grew as large as saucer plates, the larger man swearing under his breath. The other simply stared back at Sycamore like he had grown a second head. But regardless, both of them recovered quickly and went to procure the items Sycamore had requested from them now that they had their first solid lead.

Jax Levensworth, former Head of Operations for the Lumiouse Police Force's Special Investigations Squad, pulled out a data stick containing information on the past attacks, down to the method of execution. At the same time, Erwin Jaeger, former Commanding General of the Kalosian Special Operation Legionnary forces, pulled out a similar device with information from a second, simultaneous investigation under the command of the Kalosian Military, including their part in covering up the atrocities.

"Well then gentlemen," said Sycamore as he pulled up Phillip's testimony on his desktop computer, "Let us begin."


	7. Chapter 7

Chp. 7

Hello everyone! Here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. As always, comments and suggestions are more than welcomed. If anything doesn't make sense, please let me know and I will happily edit the chapter.

**Disclaimer - Pokemon belongs to it's proper owners. I do not seek to make any more or profit in any way from this story. **

"I don't like this," grunted Erwin as he stared into the professor's computer monitor.

Sycamore and Jax turned to look at the former General from across their spots at the table where they had all been working since the middle of the night. Sycamore figured he meant how little progress they had made even with their compilation of data from two independent investigations. Despite working for hours, and having Phillip's testimony, they had been unable to definitively link this Gino Maxwell character to any of the previous murders, even the recent ones. Investigations from both groups had produced a few blurry photographs that were supposed to be of the perpetrators, but contrary Phillip's information, all of these men, and possibly women, had been wearing masks of one kind or another. There was also a voice recording taken from one of the victim's Pokedex of a male voice that, it was believed, belonged to the murderer. They planned to show to show it to Phillip and, hopefully, ID Gino in that murder at least. The three figured one or two of these could be Gino based on build, but the only thing they knew for sure was that there were multiple perpetrators.

"I know it's been a difficult -" began Sycamore.

"More like frustrating," muttered Jax as he looked over printed reports, "That snip of a recording the military investigation unit found doesn't help much either."

Jax played the recording again for the what Sycamore felt was the tenth time. The file was corrupted due to damage the Pokedex has suffered, and thus it was hard to pick out what was being said.

"Target is confi... as...minated... New orders receiv... I understa... til the conve..." The recording ended abruptly as Jax turned to look at Sycamore.

"Now what the hell does that all mean? I swear I've never dealt with such a stubborn case."

"Right... but even so, we have made some progress!"

"Yes, but despite that," grumbled Jax, "We still haven't answered the most obvious question. The Kalosian government has been trying to hide these murders for years since they haven't been able to find the culprits. But it also seems like this group has made no obvious effort to break that veil."

"I imagine they know that from the moment they try, they will be tracked down and captured," reasoned Sycamore.

"More like killed on sight," said Erwin, "These days, The Ministry of Intelligence doesn't fuck around. Regardless," continued Erwin, "If these people are willing to go to such lengths to accomplish whatever it is they're trying to do, why just let it get covered up?"

"If we knew that..." said Sycamore as he reclined in his chair, stretching his arms, "everything before us would make much more sense. But still, we'll figure it out eventually, so there is no reason to worry on that front Erwin. We have some help now after all."

"It's still unbelievable," said Jax while shaking his head, "that all of us would meet him in a single day."

"I'm just glad that young man survived," said Sycamore with a sigh, "If anything, his life has become a myriad of luck surrounded by fate."

"You may be right – but there are some things I don't want to leave up to luck _or _fate," interject Erwin, "For example, I want to know, not guess, why you didn't recall Phillip back here and place him in protective custody when he told you about the attack."

"Yes," chimed in Jax, "I'd like to know that as well. You must know that when, and if, we find these people, Phillip will need to give his testimony for us to present a solid case against him and any accomplices since he's the only survivor. Why just let our prime witness go into uncharted and dangerous territory?"

"Isn't it obvious?" said Sycamore, "We can't have Phillip anywhere near other people. Even right here with us," he locked eyes with both men as he went on, "We don't know who these people are or how far their influence can reach. But my guess is that they have a tremendous amount of resources to have avoided discovery for all these years. If we bring him back here, there is every possibility that he will be killed by someone affiliated with this group. Furthermore, if the Kalosian government finds out about him – they will undoubtedly take him into custody and we may never see him again. They would never allow someone who could expose their secret to walk around free – enemy or otherwise."

"So then, sending him into the most remote regions of the country is your way of keeping him isolated from anyone who may betray us," said Jax.

"And the wild Pokemon, who are by any measure much more powerful than most people can handle, will act like a natural barrier to provide further protection," added Erwin.

Sycamore nodded, "Precisely."

"But do you think _he _can handle himself out there? After all, the kid got skewered by a Beedrill before he even made it to you. He's sloppy as all hell" argued Erwin.

"And let's not forget my battle with him – he had what amounted to a mental breakdown right then and there," agreed Jax.

"Regardless," argued Sycamore, "This is the only option available to us. The only thing we can do is trust in that young man and his skills along with the two Pokemon he has by his side now."

Jax nodded, albeit unwillingly, but Erwin simply leveled a stony glare at Sycamore. It was clear the former general did not approve of his plan. But as it stands, it was all they had right now at the moment.

"Did you want to argue the point some more, Erwin?" asked Sycamore in an irritated tone.

"No, that's not it..." said Erwin. He stood up and walked over to the window, staring into the stretch of night visible above the thousands of lights in the capital. Sycamore and Jax looked on in silence, waiting for him to say something. "It's something else. Does anyone else besides me feel uneasy about what that psychopath said to the kid?"

An uneasy silence feel over the group. They had quit trying to figure out what that phrase had meant, mostly because they were more occupied with solid factual data they could use to bring this whole nightmare to light.

"_All of creation will become one under the rule of the fallen_," recited Jax.

"It sounds like the rantings one would expect from this kind of maniac," came Sycamore's reply.

"I disagree," Erwin turned to face the two of them, leaning his back on the window pane, his huge figure silhouetted against the backdrop of small lights. "This isn't something we can wave off as simple bullshit. Maxwell told this to Phillip because he thought the kid wouldn't live to tell it to someone else. Whatever this is, it's important and we need to figure out what it means."

"But Erwin," sighed Jax as he finished compiling any new data onto the two drives they had brought, " Say we take this at face value - how can someone have the power to rule _all_ of creation? And who exactly _is_ the fallen? Some kind of devil or monster?"

Sycamore looked at Erwin, trying to reassure his friend, "It might just be some kind of cult ideology. Nothing more than banter."

Erwin regarded them for a moment with his steely eyes, obviously unmoved by their arguments, before taking one final look at the urban sprawl outside the laboratory.

"I really hope you're right about that... for all of our sakes..." he murmured as he turned back towards them, "In any case, I'm going to be out of town for a while, I have something I need to take care of." Sycamore waited, expecting an explanation – but Erwin never gave him an answer.

-2 days later-

The trio had stopped close to the base of the mountain region they were aiming for. They would be there by the end of the day if theykept their current pace. This far out, Phillip could see how much cleaner everything looked. The ground was covered with lush green grass and rivers flowed with turquoise colored water that looked pristine and clean. Even the air was sweeter – to the point that it was almost unbearable. But despite this – he knew they didn't have time to waste.

"Athena, Galata," he said, "We've been resting for about 30 minutes now. I think it's time we got some training in." He could feel Galatea's surprise at what he said, but he felt Athena's sudden surge of anger and suspicion even more. When he turned, he saw the dragon looking straight at him.

Athena's dagger like eyes narrowed as they bore into him. "So, you want me to spar with her?" she nodded to Galatea, "So that she becomes stronger for your sake?"

"Wrong," came his reply as Phillip took off his jacket and dropped the holster for his knife to the ground along with it. "You and Galatea don't need much development in terms of skill. The one whose falling behind the most... is me." He turned and walked away from them until they were separated by about 15 yards, then he stopped and looked back at them. "Therefore, I'm the one you two will be fighting."

Both Pokemon stared back at him, their mouths agape at what he was proposing – and he understood why. You always heard of trainers having their own Pokemon battle it out, but you rarely if ever heard of someone honing their own fighting skills alongside their partners. Most trainers thought improving their sense of strategy was more than enough to make up for their inability, or unwillingness, to engage danger directly. But something about hiding behind someone like Galatea didn't sit well with him. In fact, Phillip had never hidden behind anyone growing up, and he wasn't about to start now of all times.

"You're... joking right?" came Galatea's earnest question, "I mean... you don't really expect me to attack you?"

"No... I think he's fucking _serious_" said the dragon, her voice suddenly laced with excitement.

"You two are plenty strong and I need to catch up – that's all there is to it," said Phillip, becoming slightly impatient.

"You can get hurt – and badly – you do _realize _that right?" asked Athena.

"Wh – what are saying!?" demanded the small Kirlia, turning to her partner, "Are you telling me you're actually going to do it!?"

"Hey- it's his choice after all. And he does make a good point. We don't need fucking dead weight around here." As she finished talking, Athena lowered her body, her arms raised in front of her, reading herself for the fight. Phillip followed suite, and grounded himself as well. A small, predatory grin came over the Gabite's face, "Let's see what you're made of then, _Phil._"

Before Galatea could protest, Athena's legs pushed against the ground with such force that she propelled forward like a runner in a sprinting race. She barreled at him, every footstep kicking up a cloud of dust and pebbles behind her. Phillip noticed that she was moving much faster, even more than when they had first met her while with Gino.

_Those wounds she had really were holding her back, _he thought to himself.

Even so, despite the tremendous power behind the charge, Phillip stayed put, waiting for her to come closer.

3 yards...

2 yards...

The dragon was right on top of him, but this was his chance. As she came within a range of just 4 feet, Phillip threw out his right leg like a piston, using his grounded left leg as a pivot to aim. At this close of a distance, there was no way for her to avoid this given her momentum.

The dragon, though, was much more experienced than he had given her credit. Instead of taking the hit head on, Athena at the last moment angled her body to the left. Phillip felt his right foot connect with a part of her rib cage, but most of the force was deflected away. Athena, realizing her advantage, lunged at him and slammed into his torso. The force was enormous and with only one foot on the ground, she easily shoved him down into the dirt. As Phillip refocused his eyes, he found himself staring into Athena's yellow irises. Suddenly, all he could see were rows of teeth and she barreled down at him, her jaws fully opened and aiming for his neck.

On instinct, he clenched his left hand into a fist and shoved it as hard as he could into the dragon's face. He felt an instant surge of stinging pain as his hand hit her sandpaper-like skin, causing miniature cuts along his knuckles. Though not enough to push her off, she was taken by surprise, causing her to stop midway to chomping on his jugular - or pretending to, he hoped. His left arm now extended across his body, Athena looked down on it and he knew what she intended to do. But before she could open her jaws to bite down on his forearm, he drew it back across and grabbed Athena by her throat with his hand as hard as he could. The suddenness of his attack caught her by surprise, her eyes wide in shock, as she was thrown off of him with all his might. She landed a few feet away, with a dull thud onto the ground. Phillip saw her staggering up and could hear her coughing as she struggled to draw breath, but with her back turned to him he couldn't see just how effective his counter had been.

He had to capitalize on this before she could recover. He got up and broke into a charge, aiming to tackle her and bringing an end to this. He closed in on the dragon, her body still hunched over. As he closed in on her, he heard Athena's voice, indignant and defiant.

"That's called a faint _Phillip._"

Athena, dropping her act, turned to him, her right claw extended back behind her, a light, purple aura pulsating from it. Her eyes were filled with a primal rage as she roared and swung her claw, catching Phillip in the stomach. The force was tremendous, like someone had swung into him with a wooden bat, and knocked out all the air from him. He felt the entire weight of his body come to a crashing halt, before suddenly finding himself flying through the air. He crashed into the ground, his lungs burning as they struggled for breath with the world spinning above him.

He closed his eyes as tightly as possible, and within moments the feeling of dizziness left him. He opened his eyes and looked back at Athena as he lifted himself up on his right arm. She was up, but her breathing had become ragged, just like his.

"I wondered... what your... fourth was..." he said through breaths.

"Hehe... curiosity... killed the... Persian..." replied the reptilian Pokemon with a small grin as she extended her claw towards him, "Dragon claw... it's one of... the techniques... my kind is... most proud of...a sign... of our strength... and skill..."

She had every right to be proud, he thought to himself. The raw power behind such an attack spoke volumes of Athena's abilities. To learn how to develop and control such a move was a testament to her will power and determination to survive. But even so, he wasn't done yet.

As he picked himself up, the dragon's eyes widened. _Was she surprised I still wanted to continue?_

"What?" he asked, the burning in his lungs finally dissipating, "You though I was finished?"

"No," she replied, pointing one claw at him, "But if you stand there for a few seconds more, you will be."

He had been so focused, all his attention on Athena, that he had ignored his surroundings. He had completely forgotten about Galatea, deciding that she wanted to sit this out. Therefore, as he turned around, it was a shock to find her there, an array of Magical Leaf pointing right at him. But what shocked him the most were her eyes – they were not her eyes. They looked the same, but there was _something, _like a flicker, that made him feel like she was someone else.

With a flick of her hands, all the leaves converged on him at once. There was no escape, not at this close of a range. On instinct, he brought his arms in, covering his vital points. The maelstrom slammed into him with a tremendous force, but he stood his ground. Dust kicked up around him as some of the leaves hit the ground around him, leaving small craters. Once he felt that last leaf hit him, he opened his arms and looked at where the Kirlia had been standing. He was greeted with an empty spot, but to his dismay, he felt a small weight on his right shoulder. He turned and saw the open palm of Galatea's right hand, covered in a psychic aura, the small white and green Pokemon standing on his shoulder. He tried to push it away, but found his body unwilling to move. He shifted his eyes down and saw his body covered in the same glow. Without warning, the force of a Confusion slammed into him, hurdling him back. With a crash, he slammed back to Earth, his head hitting the ground with a loud _crack._

_ Damn it_, he thought to himself,_ I'm tired of eating shit all the time!_ He moved to get up again as he got over the pain of having been thrown. Just then, a shadow, follow by a loud crash next to his head, shook him back to his sense. He turned and saw Athena's claw buried into the ground, a mere inch from his face, with the dragon standing over him.

"_Now -_you're finished," she growled.

He held her gaze for a moment, unsure of what he should do. After a few seconds, the dragon removed her claw and stepped back. As he got back onto his feet, Phillip caught Galatea standing behind the dragon, her eyes full of worry, but also uncertainty. He could feel her desire to help him, but she probably was worried he would be angry. He looked her in the eye for a moment, before flashing a small smile. That was enough, and he felt Galatea relax.

"I'm a bit surprised you went after me like that," he said to the Kirlia, "I didn't even know you wanted to jump in."

"Well - it's just... I don't know... what came over me..." The small Pokemon grew quiet as she struggled to come up with an excuse. "My mind... just went blank for a second."

"It's fine," said Phillip as he pushed aside her explanation, "I wanted both of you to fight me. After all, I can't be dragging all of us down. I'm liable to get us into problems if I can't pull my weight. This way, I can improve instead of-"

"You really are an idiot when you want to be." Galatea and Phillip turned to face Athena, surprised at her sudden outbursts. She stared back at them, refusing to back down. "If you really think a couple of sparring matches between now and when we get to that mountain range is going to be enough to help you be anything else but a liability then you're a fucking moron."

"ATHENA WHA-" Galatea began to lash back at her, but Phillip silenced her by holding up his hand and shaking his head at her. He looked back at the dragon, and waited for her to continue.

"I want to ask you something Phillip," snarled the dragon, "Why? Why are you so intent on fighting _alongside_ us?"

"What do mean?" he asked.

"I'm saying why you're not trying to train us instead. Is it because you don't trust us? Because you think we'll betray you somehow? Or-," the dragon's eyes narrowed, "do you think we're not good enough to survive on our own?"

Phillip stared back at her, their eyes never turning away. "The simple reason I'm doing this," he responded, "is because I don't like other people fighting my battles for me. That's it – nothing more and nothing less."

"Unless you've forgotten, we're not exactly _people,_" retorted Athena with an icy tone.

"And why the hell does that matter-?"

"IT MATTERS TO YOU HUMANS – NOT US!" roared the dragon. Phillip's eyes grew in shock – he hadn't expected such an outburst from her. " WE KNOW WHO WE ARE – WE KNOW WE MEAN SOMETHING BUT IT'S YOU HUMANS WHO TREAT US LIKE PETS OR WEAPONS OR WORSE!"

Phillip looked back at her in silence. He could feel the dragon's anger coming to a boiling point. He'd suspected that after being mistreated by humans like Gino, she might have developed a deep hatred for his kind. To be honest, he couldn't blame her. She had been treated like a tool, her individuality ignored and stomped on - along with her pride. If that was the case, then maybe she felt all humans _had _to be that way in some form – if only to comfort herself with the idea that her situation had not been so unique. That life hadn't been horribly unfair to her. In the end, no matter how you tried to disguise it, the honest truth was that humans, from the time they are children to when they are elderly, overwhelmingly use Pokemon in fights to prove their superiority. They may consider them comrades, friends, even family, but no human he had ever met would willingly send another they cared for into an unnecessary fight – into pointless danger.

"Humans prey upon what they consider weak and defenseless – it doesn't matter if you're a human or a Pokemon," he locked eyes with the dragon, holding her piercing gaze with his own. "I know what it's like to be considered weak – an outsider to fuck with for sport." He looked over at Galatea, making sure to let her know that she was a part of this as well. She had suffered at the hands of his kind just like Athena. "I can't justify the actions of others and to be honest, I don't intend to. I speak for myself and myself alone. Choose to stay or choose to go – I don't intend to keep either of you trapped. Your not my weapons or my pets."

He waited for an answer from either of them. The two Pokemon remained silent for what seemed like an eternity. The air blew around them, kicking up debris and dust around them with an eerie howl.

"Phillip," began Athena, "Tell us – what the hell happened to yo-?"

A sudden tremor of anxiety ran through her and Phillip. The hair on the back of his neck stood up on its end and a cold feeling washed over them. They both turned to the obvious source – the Kirlia standing next to them. Her anxious eyes and frozen look of fear confirmed it.

"I sense something – a lot of them and something _big –_ and they're close."

"What direction?" asked Phillip.

Galatea hesitated, and then slowly pointed towards the east where a large hill loomed in the distance. "They're on the other side of that," she said.

"Alright then," said Phillip as he picked up his bag, "Best I get going. And don't worry," he added as he looked over at the Dragon, "We'll continue this later."

"What are you doing..?" she asked warily.

"My job – what else? I'll be back," and with that he started walking. He hoped, in a way, they wouldn't follow him. But after a few moments, he heard them fall in behind him. He shook his head slightly, and sighed quietly to himself.

_Pets or weapons, huh?, _he thought to himself, _We make arrogance seem like a virtue..._

_-30 minutes later-_

"I don't think this is a good idea Phillip..."

"Don't worry about it, this is what this mission is all about..."

"Speak for yourself... I want to live a few more years..."

"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts. You chose to come here after all."

"No – but I agree with the squirt. This is too risky."

"Hey!"

"Will both of you just shut up..?"

After walking over the distant hill, the group had found a lake at the base of it on the other side – as well as what Galatea had sensed. A horde of Nidoran and Nidorino had gathered around the body of water, their hides creating a violet colored sea at the foot of the hill. Some of them walked lazily around, looking for a spot to drink while other laid lazily, basking in the sun. They're calm and relaxed demeanor betrayed their true lethality. The Nidoran line of Pokemon were high tier predators with an array of abilities and weapons at their disposals. Both evolutionary stages had large spiked ears, capable of picking up even the slightest sound within range. It meant that sneaking up on them would be difficult and, given the large number of them, maybe even impossible. But the true danger was their choice of weapon. They all had horns protruding from their foreheads with a potentially lethal venom. The longer the horn, the stronger the poison the creature could inject into its victim. But Phillip knew from personal experience that even if he wasn't poisoned to death, the sheer blood loss resulting for a stab wound like that could be enough to kill him.

"Well Phil, if you want a suggestion, we should go for one that's farthest from the group. If you hit one of them with that tracker thing you have as quietly as possible, they might never even know we were here."

"Yeah, I agree with Athena – for once. If we do that, I might be able to teleport all of us away with enough time."

"No," he interjected. "Sycamore told me that we have to tag Pokemon that are fully evolved. I'm going to aim for that one."

His two companions turned their heads in the direction he pointed. He saw their eyes grow wide and their mouth hang open. There, drinking from the lake, was a fully evolved Nidoking – the final and most powerful of the Nidoran evolutionary stage. Normally just over 4 feet tall, Nidoking could hit hard like a juggernaut and poison their opponent with a lethal venom for good measure using the horn on their heads that looked more like a lance. Their chests were covered with a gray armor plates and their hides were just as well protected making them impervious to all but the most powerful of physical attacks. They could snap telephone poles and metal communication towers with a single swing of their tail – and do worse to a living body. They were walking, breathing tanks - but this one was in a class of it's own. Through his binoculars, Phillip estimated the Nidoking in front of him was 6 feet in height instead of the normal 4. It's hide was covered in scars – trophy's from previous fights won, giving it the right to lead it's pack. It's entire body was nothing but solid muscle and organic armor. It was, for all intensive purposes, a monster and an example of survival of the fittest at it's best.

"Are-Are you fucking nuts!?" hissed Athena. "You're going to get us killed!"

"Phillip – we can't do this" came a tense Galatea. "I don't care what you think but if you try to tag that Nidoking – ."

"And don't think me and her can go down there and deal with it _plus _its friends on our own" warned Athena.

"Who said I'm sending you two down there to fight. I'm going down there – on my own."

The two Pokemon looked at each other, and then turned their eyes on him.

"What does that mean, exactly..?" asked Galatea. Something told Phillip she knew what his answer would be, and hoped against all odds that she was wrong.

"Like I said, tagging creatures like that one is what this mission is about. But the only one who stands to benefit from the whole thing is me." He looked down at the Nidoking from where they hid. "You're under no obligation to come with me. Stay here if you want. I'll come back after everything is done."

He reached behind him and took out the probe gun that he had been given. He powered up the device and chambered a round. The gun clicked as he let go of the slide and the steady blue light along the barrel brightened up momentarily as it established a communication link with the round, now loaded.

"You - you're not going down there on your own," came Galatea's voice.

He looked back at her and was met with her scarlet eyes - they were filled with fear and apprehension, but also showed resolve. For a moment, a pang of guilt washed over him and he considered calling the whole thing off. But in the end, if they shied away from every danger, this project would never be finished would it? He nodded and shifted his eyes to meet Athena's. The dragon's eye bore into his own, and then closed.

"Meh- what the hell?" growled Athena, "Playing it safe is for cowards."

-1 hour later-

It had taken them a while to climb down from the ledge to the lake. They had worked their way around the outer edge of the wild Pokemon group, keeping as far out as possible without losing sight of them. They tried to stay downwind as much as possible in order to minimize their chance of being detected. Finally, as the sun reach it's zenith, the trio stopped and hid in an outcropping of trees close to the Pokemon.

Phillip looked at the Pokemon horde, now just 10 yards away from them. The Nidoking had finished drinking and now moved around the outer perimeter of it's group, growling orders to certain members, ensuring that all of them drank and allowed each other a fair chance at the water. It would be in clear sight in just a few minutes as it continued it's patrol.

"Okay," said Phillip as he ducked back around the tree where the other two waited, "We're going to wait until he comes close. Until then, no sudden noise or movement. Galatea, I'll give you a signal. When I do, start concentrating and focusing on building up a teleport. After I tag him, we're gonna have seconds before he's on us. Go it?"

"Yes," came a tense reply. She was scared, but she was steady.

"So... what's my job?" asked Athena.

"Hopefully, just to watch, but if something does go wrong, be ready to use a Stone Edge. We'll fight our way out if need be. As long as we keep the element of surprise up until the last second, we'll have the advantage."

"You make it sound so easy..." said the dragon.

Phillip ignored her and looked back around. The Nidoking was coming close. Just a few more seconds and it would be within range. He pulled out the probe gun and opened the small screen on the side. A red crosshairs shone on the screen and next to it on the upper right hand corner, was a number representing the number of rounds he had left in the magazine. He lifted the gun until the image of the Nidoking filled the whole screen. The gun scanned the target, comparing it's body heat and outline to the rest of it's surroundings to isolate it. After a few seconds, the words TARGET RECOGNIZED flashed across the screen. A number appeared on the bottom left corner of the screen. As the Pokemon came closer to them, the number decreased. When it reached zero, it would mean the Pokemon was within range and could be tagged.

10 feet...

Phillip steadied his hands.

7 feet...

"Galatea get ready," he whispered behind him.

4 feet...

He felt a build up of energy behind him as Galatea focused her mind.

1 foot...

He gripped the handle of the gun, and slowly squeezed the trigger.

0 feet...

As he fired the round, a crash came from behind them. He heard Athena roar, and Galatea scream. He turned back, and was met with a scene from a nightmare. Galatea was on the ground, and above her stood a Nidorino, the tip of it's horn covered in fresh blood. It's jaws were open wide as it readied to finish off its prey. Athena rushed at the intruder – her claws aimed for the creatures head. But before she could land a blow, the Nidorino jumped out of the way in a surprising burst of speed. It landed on Athena's left, it's horned now aimed for her throat. It charged at her intending to gore her.

He didn't waste anytime – Phillip pushed against the ground as hard as he could, launching himself as he reached down and unsheathed his knife. He pulled the blade upwards as he came between the two Pokemon and deflected the tip of the Nidorino's horn off the side of the blade. He had expected an enormous amount of force behind the attack, but even so the sheer brute strength of the Pokemon surprised him, almost shoving back into the ground. But somehow, he kept his balance and Athena, taking advantage of the opening, slammed her claw into the ground. The Nidorino let out a high pitched cry as the Stone Edge slammed into its vulnerable stomach, propelling up and away from the trio.

Phillip ran over to Galatea, pulling her into his arms.

"HEY! GALATEA! CAN YOU HEAR ME!? GALATEA!" he shouted.

"I'm – I'm okay..." came her faint voice, "I managed to push myself away before it could inject the venom – it's just a little wound..." But there was nothing little about it – the gash in her stomach continued to bleed. He had to stop it, if not -

A thunderous sound broke the calm silence, and Phillip felt his very blood freeze in his veins.

"SHIT! BOTH OF YOU, GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" yelled Phillip.

The Nidoking charged forward, lowering it's head as it did so. Each of its steps sent a tremor through the ground that shook the ground around them. It's eyes were wide and Phillip could see red blood vessels pulsing around it's irises. On instinct, he put up his knife to defend himself. He had enough time to wonder at how insignificant it looked against the enemy he was about to fight. It might as well have been a tree branch.

But suddenly, right below the charging behemoth, the ground broke and tall, spiked pillars of stone erupted from the soil. They caught the Nidoking in it's belly, forcing it to a halt. It gasped for air as the wind was forced from it's lungs by the sudden impact. It looked back up at Phillip, who now stood still in surprise, and roared in defiance. It pushed itself away from the pillars and swung it's tail, shattering them in a mighty swing. Shards of rock screamed flew through the air, one barely missing his head as it zoomed past. Phillip braced himself for a new attack but before the giant could break into another run, a purple light surrounded it and it's movements were brought to a halt. A second later, it was flung back at a tremendous speed. It's horde members ran away as it crashed amongst them, kicking up a huge cloud of dust as it hit the ground. Phillip looked back behind him. Athena was standing there, her claws planted firmly in the ground, her eyes locked on him. Galatea was beside her, one arm wrapped around her partner's shoulders, her eyes a bright, shining red and her other arm extended in front of her. He noticed though, that she was panting, trying to catch her breath.

Phillip looked back to where the Nidoking had landed. After a hit like that, he expected it to be down for at least a few seconds, long enough for them to run and put some distance between them and it. To his dismay, though, the beast got back up again, shaking off the attacks that had struck it without any sign of effort. It companions, recovering from the shock of their sudden appearance amongst them, began to gather around their leader, growling and snapping at the trio. Phillip weighed his options, though he didn't have many to consider. With Galatea being exhausted and wounded, the odds were slim she would be able to get them all to safety and Athena, as good as she was, couldn't fight this horde on her own. Even if he tried to help, he was more likely to get himself killed than anything.

The Nidoking, now fully recovered, stomped on the ground and bellowed at them, enraged at the humiliation it had suffered from its less than glorious landing. Phillip could tell – it's pride had been injured and there was no chance of escaping it's wrath.

_It's pride..., _he thought to himself. He turned back to the two Pokemon standing behind him.

"Stay here – and whatever happens, focus on getting away," he said.

"Wait – what are you planning to do?" asked Galatea nervously.

"Just trust me," he said simply as he turned away.

"I can't. I know you, and you get reckless when you feel trapped." He felt a small hand grab his shoulder. He felt it tremble with anxiety and worry. "Please, let us fight. Trust us. I'm begging you."

He closed his eyes. Galatea was injured – bleeding- but still she kept insisting to fight with him. He didn't have time for this – that behemoth would be on them any second now. This was not the time to argue about trust issues. He pushed her objections out of mind.

He opened his eyes and saw that the Nidoking had begun to move towards them, but much more slowly this time. No doubt, it was wary of being struck again by any attacks. The members of its pack moved with it, spreading out to cover their flanks and limiting the chance of escape. He almost laughed at how pointless their efforts were – even if they tried to run now, they're was no where to hide in the open area.

He turned back and looked at the pair. Galatea was staring intently at him – he noticed her right hand was pressed against her wound and glowing. To his relief – small as it was given the situation they were in – the bleeding had stopped. He was surprised at how fast she was able to heal herself. Athena maintained her demeanor, her yellow eyes betraying nothing a kin to fear.

"I got you two into this mess. It's my responsibility to get you out. I won't have you two clean up my mistakes." He turned to face the Nidoking, locking eyes with the giant. It stopped and growled, waiting for his move. "Athena, I need to translate for me."

"Huh? What for? Just have the squirt do it."

"No," he said before Galatea could say anything, "I need you to tell it exactly what I'm saying word for word. I can't have Galatea mincing words."

"I see... your point..." muttered the dragon. Galatea looked like she wanted to protests, but remained quiet.

"Tell him I want to challenge him to single combat. If I win, we walk away. If not, I surrender my life."

"You- you're serious?" stuttered Athena.

"Yes so do it!" he hissed. He didn't have time for this. The two stared at him, and with a quick glance to one another, Athena called out in her native tongue to the behemoth. As he watched, the Nidoking paused for a moment, before roaring in response.

"He's asking why he should accept your request" said Athena.

"He doesn't have to – after all cowards who hide behind their subordinates but call themselves kings are common enough."

Athena's eyes widened and for a moment, Phillip worried that she wouldn't say anything at all. But thankfully, she cried out his response. The response was an enormous roar from their opponent – maybe he had gone to far. He waited for the Nidoking to order his pack to charge them – if that happened they were all as good as dead. But no such attack came.

"So?" he asked, "What did he say?"

"He said he accepts your pathetic challenge and that you need to learn what it means to undermine a true king. He also elaborated on what he's going to do to us – but I'll leave that to your imagination."

"Wait- us?" he said incredulously as he turned to face them, "I said single combat!"

"I know – but I made a minor change to your statement. It'll be us three against him," said the dragon in a matter-of-fact tone. This is why Galatea was unusually quiet- he thought – they had planned this.

Under normal circumstances, he would have told them to fuck off and tell the Nidoking the real message, but you also couldn't deny their chances of survival were higher this way. Galatea looked at him, her wound patched up, her determination flowing through him. She silently nodded to him, ready for their battle. This was it – there was no more time to think.

"So... what's your plan?" asked Athena,"If you're gonna be a ragdoll, at least be a useful one."

"Alight," he said turning back to their enemy, "Galatea you hang back and let loose a Confusion. Try to slow it down."

"Okay," she said with a tense voice, "But what about you two?"

"We'll do the only thing we can do," growled Athena as she readied herself, "Me and him will get in close – try to take this guy down hard and fast. It's the only way"

A tremendous roar erupted from the Nidoking as it began it's attack, ending their talk. The giant broken into a run, it's armored legs sending tremors into the ground. It lowered it's head, aiming it's venomous horn straight at him. Phillip felt like his entire body was trembling down to his very core – whether it was from fear or the shaking ground, he didn't know.

"Galatea do it now!" he yelled back.

Before the words even left his mouth, he saw the Nidoking slow as it was enveloped by the Psychic attack, and then stop as it fell down to one knee. It's sheer bulk hitting the ground sent a cloud of dust around it, blinding it from view.

"Let's move!" Phillip and Athena moved forward, charging at their enemy before he could recover. As they reached the perimeter of the dust, Athena raised a glowing claw, and brought down her signature Dragon Claw blindly into it. Phillip, following suit, lunged forward, putting all his weight behind his knife.

But then both of them stopped abruptly – something had gone wrong. Phillip felt his entire arm quake as the recoil of hitting solid plate vibrated through his body. He saw the visible energy from Athena's attack dissipate into the creature's hide, doing next to no damage. As the dust settled, he saw, to his amazement, the Nidoking had lured them in. It's left forearm had been brought up like a shield, blocking Phillip's attack and showing no damage at all. It's right had blocked Athena's strike, taking next to no damage, her only reward being a small gash.

Then he was sent flying. The giant swung his arms outwards, pushing them away with tremendous force. Athena hit the ground with a giant crash. Phillip did the same, but on instinct used the blade of his knife to catch the ground by stabbing into it, stopping himself from rolling. He wheezed for breath as he looked up, and saw the behemoth coming towards him. It's eyes were full of murder, it's mouth open to reveal rows of razor sharp teeth.

"Get away from him!" yelled Galatea. In a bright flash of light, she teleported in front of him, unleashing her Confusion as soon as she appeared. But this time there was no stopping it – the Nidoking pushed through her attack, it's charge practically unaffected. It was death incarnate – and it was coming for both of them.

She didn't want this – she didn't want to have her friends die like this. Galatea screamed as she kept firing her Confusion again and again. Each time, the Nidoking slowed, but that was it. It just kept coming, it was unstoppable. Her head filled with all sorts of emotions – anger, frustration, anxiety – but most of all, it was fear. Fear that Phillip and Athena would both die here with her – that this would be the end. They would die before they even got started, before she even got a chance to really know them – to know him.

All this swirled in her mind as she fired what she thought would be her last attack. But just then, before the Nidoking swung down with it's armored fist, she felt a hand grab her from behind and pull her away. The deafening crash followed, along with the sting of her eyes filling with dust. Then, as she flew away from the cloud of dust and debris, she tumbled to a halt. She opened her eyes, and saw the Nidoking standing still, it's arm buried in the ground where she had been standing. It's eyes looked out of focus, and it's breathing was irregular. Her heart skipping a beat, she realized it was in a confused state.

Snapping to, she looked around for Phillip – he was the one who had pulled her away. Her heart began to beat like a drum as her mind raced with what could have happened to him – but then the Nidoking's roar brought her back to reality. It stood up, swinging around as if fighting something invisible. Had it gone crazy – seeing things because of the after effects of her attack?

A figure suddenly leaped up from where it had been holding onto its armored back, landing on top of it's head and wrapping it's arms around it's snapping jaws. In danger of being thrown, Phillip held onto for dear life, his legs swinging around like a branch in a storm.

"NOW! WHILE I HAVE IT DISTRACTED!" he yelled out.

On his word, giant pillars of stone erupted underneath the giant, stabbing it in it's stomach. The creature roared out in pain and stumbled back, but still stood it's ground. Athena, emerging back into view, jumped as high as she could, her claw glowing and her mouth emitting a deep roar as she aimed to strike the Nidoking behind it's head.

Galatea wanted to move – but the unrelenting fear that consumed her kept her in place. All she could do was watch as the Nidoking swung it's armored tail into Athena, catching her in midair. Following through, it slammed the Gabite into the ground with a tremendous crash. Then, it lunged it's head forward and down, flipping Phillip over it before slamming him into the ground.

"PHILLIP! ATHENA!" she cried out. She finally felt something break inside of her – a realization. What use was she standing here, waiting to see what happens? What use was her frustration if she did nothing? What use was her fear – if she was going to die here in place along with her family?

She yelled and the world melted away. It was replaced with the giant's glowing primal eyes and the smell of it's breath. She was standing between it and her friends – the man who had saved her and the sister that she had found. The man she wanted to live next to. The sister she wanted to fight next to. She didn't know how she could possibly come out of this alive – but for some reason that didn't matter. She was where she had to be – protecting her loved ones. The Nidoking roared at her arrival as it opened it's enormous maw, intending to devour her in place.

_Only the strong have the right to their loved ones_. This singular, alien thought entered her mind. It should have surprised her – but somehow it felt... familiar. Where had it come from? _A weakling like you – and her - deserve nothing – they have no rights. _Suddenly, her body began to move, in pattern she had never known. She raised her arms, following what she could only describe as instinct, forming an arch over her head. _What will it be – will you cry like a coward? _The thought's kept coming, as well as her movement. She felt the heat of the monsters mouth. She could feel the energy collecting around her. W_ill you take back the last piece of your family? Or will you lose them all? _Never.

"I REFUSE TO LOSE ANYONE – EVER AGAIN!" she roared at the top of her lungs. Then a single word entered her mind – the name of her attack. The attack she would use to save her life – their lives – his life.

"PSYSCHOCK!" she declared as loudly as she could.

She brought her arms down, letting loose the energy she had pooled up above her. In milliseconds, it changed from fluid waves of energy, to floating objects resembling her Magical Leaf. They pulsed with raw Psychic energy, more than she had ever felt with her Confusion attack. Then, using her will as their guide, they converged onto the Nidoking – slamming into it's face mere inches from her. The cry of it's pained roar was lost into the rumble of her attack. It's head snapped back, the momentum of her attack pushing it away from them. It took two steps backwards, trying not to fall, before it landed onto the ground with a tremendous crash.

Everything was quiet – you couldn't even hear sounds coming from the horde around them. They stood still, waiting – expecting- their king to rise again. Galatea didn't, because she didn't care. She turned around, expecting the worst. Her heart skipped a beat as she found Phillip propping himself up on an elbow – his eyes wide and struggling to find words to say. Athena had staggered to her feet – her eyes just as incredulous.

"Gala – you – how did you?" he began stutter before his eyes grew wide.

A roar resounded behind her. She turned around to see the impossible. The Nidoking had gotten back up – it's legs shaking and threatening to buckle under it's weight. It's face was covered with it's own blood as it flowed from open gashes. Despite that, it broke into a charge, it's eyes full of murder. But there was also, to her surprise, fear. She could feel it – a primitive, instinctive fear the likes of which she had felt when she had been cornered by the Beedrill.

As she tried to move – she suddenly realized she couldn't move. It wasn't fear this time – she had run out of energy. Her entire body felt like stone – her limbs unresponsive. But before she could think of anything else – a blur passed beside her. Phillip ran – seemingly towards the monster – his knife raised.

"PHILLIP!" she cried as a cold wave of fear overtook her.

At the last second, Phillip sidestepped to his right, passing by the Nidoking's left. There was a metallic flash – followed by a spurt of blood and roar of pain. The giant crash back to the ground – it's left eye covered in blood. Before it could recover – Phillip suddenly appeared on top of it, his knife pointed at it throat. The giant stopped moving – breathing heavily as it focused through the pain on it's potential killer. Galatea stood rooted to the spot as she watched.

"Listen to me to fucking asshole," began Phillip, "I don't care how much armor you have – I've never met someone without eyes and a throat that can't be slit." He pushed the blade closer to the creature's throat, causing it to wince in pain. "I'm not looking to capture you or any of your friends. This is just fucking research - I'm not looking for a fucking war. All I need to do was get this on you." Galatea saw him point to a small black blob on it right ear. She had completely forgotten about the tracker. At the very least, she thought, they had managed to fulfill their goal.

"You've lost," he continued, "If you agree to walk away, then we will too. If not- then you know what happens."

A silence engulfed them as they all stood still. Galatea's was overcome with anxiety as she watched her friend. Would he really kill that Pokemon? Was he really capable of something like that? Killing one of her own kind?

Phillip waited for what seemed an eternity. The silence was driving him insane along with the frantic sense of apprehension engulfing him on the inside. The Nidoking's eyes were unwavering and filled with indignation. The gash he had made just above it's left eye socket flowed with blood, forming a small pool on the ground next to them. If it didn't surrender – he would have no choice but to kill it. He wouldn't get second chance.

_Damn it to hell, _the thought to himself through gritted teeth, _I did not sign up for this bullshit! _But then again, wasn't he the reason they were here in the first place?

An undulating sound erupted from the behemoth. Phillip panicked for a moment, thinking that maybe they had hurt it more than they thought. But a small glimmer appeared in the creature's eye, he realized this wasn't some kind of death throw – it was laughing.

"I – uh – what the... hell?" he managed to stutter.

The giant turned to Galatea, and called out to her. The small Pokemon looked surprised for a moment, but then nodded. She closed her eyes, and Phillip suddenly heard a new voice.

"You can get off now. You've made your point human," came a deep, booming voice that resonated inside his head.

He looked down in surprise – he could understand him completely. The giant's eyes betrayed nothing – and if he had opened his mind to Galatea, then she would know if he was lying, hopefully. He got up slowly, waiting to see if it was a trap. As the Nidoking got back on it's feet, it made no hostile moves. Phillip let out a sigh of relief, thankful that it was really over. He felt the same release of apprehension from Galatea. He turned to face the two of them, and saw her smiling to his relief. He turned back as the Nidoking continued.

"Honestly – I've never seen a human with such courage. Most of the time you all run the second I'm spotted – even when I don't mean any harm. It's refreshing to see you're not all gutless cowards."

"If you're so amicable-" said Phillip, "Then why did you fly off the handle like that?"

"Well first off, you had a weapon in hand, so I thought you were one of those hunters of my kind. And furthermore, if a king finds someone trespassing in his domain, he is obligated to challenge them or bring them to submission."

"Hunters? You mean poachers?" asked Phillip.

"I supposed that's the term your kind use. They've always been here, but recently they've begun to come in larger numbers. I've already lost several in my tribe – when I saw you, well..."

"So then, does this mean we don't have a problem anymore?" Phillip waited.

"We'll technically, you've bested me in combat on my own terms. Therefore, the choice is yours – my fate and that of my tribe is in your hands."

Phillip said nothing – or rather he couldn't because he was so taken aback. He looked at the king's tribe, and was met with apprehension and fear. Some of the Nidoran let out high pitched cries as their older siblings tried to comfort them. He could have an entire army at his disposal if he chose to capture them.

"Fuck that -" he said. He turned around and began to walk back towards his two companions away from the tribe. "I'm am _not _going to babysit all of you bastards."

"Wait!" shouted the leader, taken aback, "You mean you'll not capture us? Have us come with you?"

He turned around to face the incredulous look on the Nidoking's face. "Why? I'm not interested in capturing anyone or anything."

"But – you humans always try to capture my kind... You could have an army to command – and yet you would walk away?"

"Didn't you just say I'm not like other humans?" he turned away, "If you want me to give you an order so badly, then here it is. Get even stronger than what you are now – the weak have no rights to their loved ones."

Galatea and Athena followed behind him – leaving the ruler and it's family in utter silence. He could feel the pain of his injuries – and he knew that these two were in no better shape. They would have to make camp and heal themselves fast. And also...

_How the hell, _he thought to himself, _did Galatea do something like that?_

_-45 minutes later-_

Galatea flinched as Phillip applied the healing salve he had made from the local berries. After Athena and their encounter with Gino, they had used up everything Phillip had bought in the city. Luckily, he had bought a book to help him find useful herbs and plants to act as a replacement.

"You okay?" asked Phillip, not looking up from where he was treating her wound.

"Ye – yeah..." she stuttered, "Sorry, it just stings..."

"That's good – it means it's doing it's job then," he said as he began to bandage the spot of her stomach where she had been gored by the Nidorino. "Athena should be coming back soon with the rest of what we need."

"Do you think it was a good idea? Sending her out like that?" she asked.

"Hey- if you want to try and stop her then be my guest. I'm just glad she let me bandage her up at least before she left."

"Heh- I guess you're right," she laughed softly. The group had managed to make their way to the edge of a forest after their near death experience. As soon as they had made camp, Athena had insisted going out of her own to grab the berries they needed from the surrounding area. When they protested, she had retorted with her usual barrage of profanities and impatience and had left anyway. But beneath that, Galatea knew that Athena cared – after all she could feel it.

"Galatea – how did you learn something like Psyshock?" asked Phillip as he finished bandaging her.

"I – uh – what?" the sudden questions had caught her off guard.

"That attack you used – it was enough to stop that Nidoking in it's tracks," he sat down beside her, looking up at the sky as he continued, "For it to take someone like that down, well – let's just say that that's more firepower than I expected out of you. So, how did you learn it?"

"Well – I – uh... - don't really have an answer for you" she said.

"You mean it just came to you? Really?" he said, turning to look at her.

"That's the best way I can describe it. Most of the time, I can feel when a new ability is starting to form. Kind of like it's growing slowly inside me until I can use it. But this time – it just came to me in a rush. Magical Leaf was the same thing – I don't know why. I wanted to save the two of you – and then it just came to me – like something that had always been there, but I had never noticed."

Phillip looked at her in silence for a while. Then he nodded his head and let out a small chuckle.

"I guess there's more to you than I thought huh?"

"Hey! I'll have you know I'm plenty strong!" she said puffing her chest out.

"I'm sure you are," Phillip laid back onto the ground, but as he did a pained look came over his face. He reached down and rubber the spot where he had been thrown onto the ground when the Nidoking had bucked him off.

"Are you oka- WHAA!" Galatea tried to lean over to him, but her hand slipped and suddenly she fell on top of him. She landed with a thud onto his chest. She slowly opened her eyes, and found herself staring right into Phillip's. She could see every detail of his brown colored eyes now filled with shock – and felt the warmth of his body on hers.

"I'M – I'M SORRY!" she cried as she scrambled to get off him. She could feel her entire face heat up and she blushed. She turned around in embarrassment and tried to get herself to calm down.

"Y- yeah" came Phillip's awkward answer, "Don't worry about it."

There was a moment of silence between them. Galatea felt her heart racing in her chest. This kind of feeling – she knew instinctively what it was – but no – it couldn't be. There's no way she should be feeling this way towards him. He was her friend – her partner. But then, could that mean that they could be more if time passed by...?

She shook her head, trying to get her thoughts under control. When she had finally gotten a hold of herself, she turned around and found Phillip staring at her with a confused look on his face.

"Are... you... okay?" he asked slowly.

"Yes!" she yelled for no reason, "Great! Couldn't be better! Hehe..."

He gave her one last questioning look – meaning he did not believe her at all – then shrugged.

"If you say s-"

The two of them froze as an enormous roar broke the calm that surrounded them. The deep and malicious sound rung through the entire forest and shook her down to her very core. The two of them bolted up to their feet and looked around, Galatea trying with all her might to sense what had created such a noise. Phillip pulled out his knife again – but she could see that his hands were shaking. He knew – they both knew – that they were in no shape to fight again. Even if Athena made her way back, the three of them would probably be no match for whatever was coming.

"Can you sense it?" he asked in a hurried whisper.

"No – I don't – I don't feel anything!" she whispered back.

"Okay – alright" he said with a shaking voice, "Let's head into the brush – maybe we can lay low and hopefully it just passes by without noticing us."

"What about Athena? What if she comes back?" Galatea's entire body was shaking so much she wondered if she could even make it that far.

"I'm sure she'll have the same idea. She's a fighter – but also knows how to survive. Let's go towards the direction she left though – we can catch her in case I'm wrong."

"Okay,"

The two of them began moving slowly, looking out into the surrounding woods for any movement. They moved as quietly as possible, being careful not to step on any branches or dried leaves that would give them away. Was it her fear, or was the daylight suddenly growing darker around them? No – it couldn't be.

"Above us!" cried Phillip.

Galatea looked up just in time to see a a dark shadow come down upon them. She could see three pairs of menacing black eyes in the middle of the enormous creature. She felt like she was staring into the face of death.

"FUCKING MOVE!" Phillip suddenly wrapped his arms around her, ripping her away from where she stood frozen in fear and leaping to the side. The creature slammed into the ground where they had been standing on just moments before. When the dust cleared, the two of them finally got a clear view of their attacker – and she felt her heart sink.

From the looks of it's long neck and wings – the creature was obviously a dragon-type Pokemon like Athena. But instead of one single head – it had three. Two heads were used in place of claws – all three lined with teeth that could tear them to shreds if it wanted. It sported black, blue, and purple colorings along its body. It's three pairs of red eyes glowed menacingly as it snapped at them – hissing and roaring as it did so. Two shriveled hind legs could be seen along its torso – a pointless addition since it seemed to float in midair effortlessly. She remember her mother, years ago, telling her about such a beast.

"A... Hydreigon," she whispered, her voice filled with raw terror.

Galatea pushed up against Phillip, trying to get as close to him and as far away from the monster as possible. He wrapped his arm in front of her, and if trying to shield her in some way. It brought her some comfort, but it was lost amidst the fear she felt they both had growing inside them. She closed her eyes – bracing for the worst. She didn't wait it to end - not like this.

"It's... not moving," came Phillip's tense whisper.

Galatea risked a quick glance at the creature – and saw that he was right. It simply floated in place – it kept snarling and snapping at them – but made no sudden moves to attack them. Why though? There was no way for them to fight back – they probably looked as worn down they felt. She felt Phillip tense up as a sense of realization flowed over him.

"Galatea – as quietly and quickly as you can – I want you to sense around for any humans in the area around us," he whispered.

"What?" She turned her head to look at him. "What's the point of that now?"

"_Just do it!"_ he hissed,

She closed her eyes and expanded her consciousness, reaching out as far as she could. She didn't need to go far. She could feel someone coming towards them – but it was strange. This person felt familiar – not foreign. She must have met them before – but then that could be.

"_Oh no," _she cried softly, "Phillip they're coming from our left."

"How close?" he asked.

"Phillip, what if it's him? What if it's Gi-"

"_How close dammit!?" _he repeated.

"They're close – just a few more seconds," she tried to focus as best as she could. "They're going to come through that bush... _Now!"_

Phillip let his right arm fall from her – his knife in hand. He swung around in a half circle, aiming for the bush that Galatea had pointed out to him. He let the weapon fly and in a second, it flew into the brush. Suddenly – the strange creature bellowed in anger and rushed towards them. It's three mouth roaring and showcasing their serrated teeth. Phillip grabbed Galatea and pulled her into him. He turned around, his back facing the enemy.

"NO PHILLIP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" she yelled.

"I promise-," he began in a gentle whisper. She looked up, and for the first time since she had met him, felt that she was looking right into him – into his soul as she stared into his brown eyes. "I'll protect you. I won't let anything hurt you."

Before she could say anything, a figure leaped from the brush and landed between them and the dragon – the human she had felt.

"I SAID FIND THEM - NOT EAT THEM YOU GLUTTEN!" came a deep booming voice.

The dragon at once came to a halt – it's roars and bellows ending as suddenly as they had started. The two of them stared in utter disbelief, waiting for it to devour the newcomer. But it just floated, looking at the figure, it's three heads bobbing quietly. It looked almost harmless – or as harmless as a three headed dragon could look. The human, who had a large black bag strapped to his back, turned to face them.

She froze in place – as did Phillip – when they got a good look at the man in front of them. The blonde hair and stubby beard, the olive clothing – it was the shopkeeper from Lumiose!

"Sorry about that," he said with an awkward grin, "I told him to scout out for you two but I guess when you threw that knife at me, it drove him a little mad."

"Wh – how – how the hell are you here?" yelled Phillip when he had regained his voice. "Are you following me!?"

"Hahaha! In a way I guess but don't take it as a compliment!" roared the burly man, "I'm actually here to help you out kid. After all, we wouldn't want a repeat of what happened a few days ago."

Galatea felt a sudden rush of anger and suspicion build up inside her friend. His hand went down to reach for his weapon, but the only thing he grasped was ir in place of the handle.

"Looking for this?" asked Erwin as Phillip's knife appeared in his right hand. He spun it around a few times - as comfortable as a kid with a toy he had had his whole life. "I have to admit, you know your knife throws. Almost got me in between the eyes - you would have if I didn't dodge."

"How do you know about what happened with Gino!?" spat Phillip out, "Are you with him?"

"Now now, there's no need to be rude," Erwin stopped playing with the weapon in his hand and as he spoke, began to walk over to them, "Sycamore told you he had contacts, didn't he? I happen to be one of them."

He stopped, and offered the knife back to Phillip. He slowly took it – suspicion never leaving his eyes.

"If that's the case, then why are you here then?" he asked.

"Like I said Phillip, we can't have you dying out here – you're too valuable you see? And let's just say that with your current skill set you won't be able to survive deep in these mountains, let alone another encounter with someone like Gino."

"I have my own ways – and they've worked just fine," said Phillip.

"Oh yeah – because getting yourself and you're associates almost killed during your first encounter is a very promising sign." Erwin's voice was thick with sarcasm – and Galatea could feel Phillip's indignation growing ever stronger. "Make no mistakes kid, this is war and you're in the thick of it."

Before her friend could say anything, Erwin reached into his pocket and brought out something in his closed hand. He held it out to Phillip who hesitated, but then opened his palm. Galatea saw a small item fall into Phillip's hand. It looked like a brass colored cylinder but was pointed at the tip which was colored black. She felt Phillip's heart jump at the sight of it.

"A... bullet?" he said hesitantly.

"You've lived up until now as a street-fighter and managed to scrape along by the skin of your teeth," said Erwin with a grin, "But I'm gonna do you one better. From this moment onward I will teach you how to thrive using a new skill set." Erwin reached behind him and pulled out something from the bag he carried. She thought for a second it was another probe gun, like Phillip's – but it was different. It had what she recognized as a trigger (at least she thought that's what Phillip called it), and she could see the tube where the bullets would come out but that's where the similarities ended. This device was larger, and looked much more powerful. It was jet black, no pulsing lights, and had a strange banana shaped thing protruding from underneath it. Maybe that's where the bullets were?

"Ready up," said Erwin as he offered the weapon to Phillip. "Your training in the art of war begins now soldier."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**Hello everyone! Here is the next chapter for the story! I hope you enjoy and as always please comment any suggestions or let me know if you'e enjoying the story! **

The young man looked at the weapon in Erwin's outstretched hand in silence, his face stoic. The Kirlia looked at it as well, but its emotions were easier to read – it was nervous, a little frightened, but mostly the small creature was on guard. The same could be said about the kid then, since Kirlia established strong ties to their trainers.

"I'm not taking that thing," spat Phillip. As expected, but Erwin had still been hoping for more cooperation. Nonetheless, he feigned surprise.

"What could be the problem? It's not like your unaccustomed to guns. You've been using one up until now without any trouble."

The boy's voice got colder, if that was possible. "The thing Sycamore gave me and what your offering are completely different. I signed up to track Pokemon for you guys - not kill them."

A naïve answer, but nothing unexpected given his age and his background. Regardless of what he'd seen and done, he was still only a child. He played along, to see what more he could get from him. "Even in self-defense? You're telling me you would rather die than do whatever is needed to preserve your own life?"

"I refuse to kill them. Why the hell should I? I'm here by choice and if that gets me killed then so be it," came his flat response. Erwin could have argued why he should reconsider that type of thinking, but it was pointless.

"That's a nice sentiment and all," he replied, "but for _you _to say those things in your position. We'll, let's just say it's a little hypocritical." Erwin waited to see if the kid took the bait. It wasn't long.

"What the fuck did you say!? I've never killed anyone" he yelled bolting up.

"Exactly what I said – you're a hypocrite," Erwin response calmly.

Anger, surprise, loathing – all those feelings played out in the kid's face. His eyes were practically glowing with rage. But he held back, probably because he knew that losing control now would only endanger himself. At least he had a little bit of self-preservation built it.

"And what makes you say that?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Erwin took a long look at Phillip in silence. He resembled the troops he had trained when he had first made sergeant. He had their spirit, their quick temper, and their eagerness to disprove what others said about them when they didn't agree. But those eyes – they were different. There was genuine pain and anger behind them. But there was something else - something that had been hidden for years. They were similar to the eyes of hardened veterans, who had seen their share of atrocities. It's true, he was still a child – but you could argue that at heart he had ceased to be one long ago.

"You're not willing to kill those Pokemon – yet you're willing to let that one next to you and the other one die. if that's not hypocrisy - then what is?"

Both Phillip and the Kirlia froze in place at what he said. He figured they would need clarification so he pressed on.

"Tell me boy – what do you think happens if you die? Do you think that Kirlia is going to simply Teleport away, and restart it's life elsewhere without a second thought?" he asked.

Phillip's eyes darted from him to his Pokemon – but he remained silent.

"No answer? Then let me enlighten you - it would die first before ever leaving your side. I've worked with military units that had Pokemon from the Ralts line – after all they excel at intelligence gathering and the like. But if they have one flaw – it's that they will lose all sense of control and risk life and limb to protect their trainers."

"I'm not her trainer. That's never been the case," retorted Phillip.

"So what – is that supposed to mean the norm doesn't apply to you? Those words mean nothing. If they are willing to die for someone they regard as a master, then imagine what they're willing to do for someone whom they've chosen to follow without coercion. But then again – let's ask it." He turned to the small Pokemon. "Tell me – would you let him die?"

The small white and green creature looked at him with her scarlet eyes. She glanced over to her trainer, and shook her head when they met eyes.

"So now the next question," he began, "would you let her die boy? Would you throw away her life to keep denying the reality of the world you live in now? If you have someone you care about, then you fight to keep them alive. In combat, you don't fight for your country, your flag, or your ideals. You fight for the ones standing next to you on the battlefield. That's an ironclad rule every soldier knows."

"But I'm not a soldier -" began Phillip.

"BUT YOU'RE AT WAR BOY!" roared Erwin over him. His sudden outburst caught the Phillip and his Pokemon off guard. They both froze and he leveled a cold and merciless glare at him, something he had learned from his years of breaking new recruits.

"Make no mistake – I know what you're involved in now," he said, "That madman thinks you're dead. But when he finds out you're alive – and he will find out – he'll come back to finish the job. Whether you like it or not, you have only two choices. Learn what I have to teach you, or die. And don't choose lightly, because you will be choosing for the Kirlia and that one as well."

He pointed to his left – the rustling of the brush since he arrived suggested that it had been there for a while, probably since he had jumped in and stopped his partner from devouring the kid. The Gabite – the one Sycamore had mentioned, walked into view, it's striking yellow eyes firmly on him as it made it's way to it's comrades.

"Just... I just don't want to kill anyone with that thing..." he said in a defeated voice. In a way, Erwin felt sorry for the kid. After all, he had a good reason for disliking the idea of using the weapon that was now being thrust upon him. He wondered briefly if the Kirlia was aware of the kid's past - more than likely given its type. But now was not the time for weakness.

"We'll do what we can boy," said Erwin as he offered the weapon again to Phillip. "Everything else is in the hands of fate – and yours."

Phillip reach out and took hold of the rifle's handle.

_Two week later-_

_This bastard is trying to kill us. _That was Phillip's thoughts as the three of them walked – or rather shambled – back to their camp. He could barely hear his own thoughts over the panting and groaning coming from him and the two Pokemon which followed – barely – behind him.

Everyday since their "training" had begun they had been woken up at the crack of dawn by Erwin's roaring voice. They were given just a few minutes to get ready and swallow whatever food they could before they began whatever regiment the old man had in store for them. Most of the time it consisted of tactical teamwork combining their abilities, strength training, or like today – endurance training in the form of a 10 mile trek through thick brush and up a mountain top while using body weights. But finally, as the sun was beginning to set, they were returning to their camp.

Phillip stared ahead at Erwin's back as he walked ahead of his group. The old man had made the trek with them and where Phillip, Athena, and Galatea were now barely able to move, Erwin walked with barely any sweat on him. Really, the old man was acting like he had gone for a stroll through the park, humming to himself as he walked effortlessly. Phillip didn't know whether to take this as an example of Erwin's monstrous endurance, or evidence of how much the three of them sucked.

After what seemed like an eternity, the four of them arrived at their camp. Phillip sat down as soon as he could, with Galatea following suit. Athena just plopped unceremoniously onto the ground like a sandbag. His lungs, his legs – hell his whole body felt either heavy, on fire, or both.

"That... was... bullshit..." wheezed the dragon beside him through ragged breaths. Galatea said nothing, but simply nodded as she too struggled to catch her breath.

"Now don't give me that," chuckled Erwin, "You'll need to get used to that kind of walk for your work after all."

Phillip wanted to tell the old man to fuck off, but settled for a cold glare. The others were to exhausted to say or do anything - it was all any of them could do not to pass out. Erwin came over and began to work on making a fire for the camp. In a few moments, they were enveloped in its glow and warmth. He passed out pre-packaged MRE (Meals ready to Eat), which the three of them gladly took - though they didn't taste that great, they were still something. At least they wouldn't have to cook today.

"I have to say- the three of you are doing great keeping up with the regimen I made – even better than some of the recruits I've had ," said Erwin through mouthfuls of food.

Phillip gave him a deadpanned look. "That's a surprise, considering your training leaves us half dead most of the time."

"That's to be expected!" The old man gave a wicked grin as he let loose a roaring laugh," Otherwise I could hardly call it training!"

"More like a slow execution..." grumbled Athena from where she ate. "How's kicking our ass like this supposed to help us bond as a team exactly...?"

Galatea padded her teammate on her shoulder. "It's because we suffer through it together that we form stronger bonds and can count on each other."

The old man pointed at her, "Right on target little lady. Bonds tried by fire – that's the plan here. And believe me, by the time you're training is done the three of you will be able to act without a moment's hesitation. You'll know how each one of your squad members will react in any given situation without even asking – like you're reading each others minds."

Phillip pointed to Galatea. "Well we're halfway there already then..."

"That's the spirit!" Erwin gave him a strong slap on the back, almost knocking the wind out of him.

"So is that how it was with your group?" asked Phillip once he regained his composure.

The old man hesitated slightly, and Phillip almost instantly regretted asking something he should not have. "That's right," he said after a moment, "We went through hell training together and not all of us who started made the cut. But those of us who did knew we could count of each other. They were– are – my brothers and sisters. My family."

"What do you mean _were_?" asked Athena.

Phillip was about to tell Erwin he didn't have to go into details, but the man held up his hand. "It's okay – you guys should know what happened – after all it's our opinion that you're now tied into this mess." He took a deep breath, as if preparing himself to lift a heavy weight – almost too much to bear.

"Those in power would have you believe that the world we live in is at peace – but the truth is far less ideal than that. Although we don't fight full scale wars anymore – there is always a battlefield somewhere. A place where level minds have given way to violence and cruelty. This is particularly true for countries were law and order are not as prevalent as they are here. Where the world would rather turn a blind eye rather than take action."

He reached down and grabbed hold of his rifle and started to strip it apart. To Phillip, it seemed like doing so calmed the man down. "But things aren't always so simple. No matter how hard you try to ignore it, eventually that violence will find its way to us because we all share the same space. 10 years ago, a high ranking diplomat was captured in one of those countries. He had gone there to secure mineral rights for Kalos and was in the middle of finalizing talks when a group of anti-government militia members ambushed his caravan. They killed the entire security detail and took the guy hostage using guns, explosives. Obviously, we had to get him back – letting our members of government get snatched without a care is not the kind of message you want to send." He looked up from his work and squarely into Phillips eyes, "So they sent us – The Kalosian Special Operation Squad 9 - codenamed Black Revenant."

"We were unique – even amongst other Spec Op units because we used Pokemon in our operations," he said nodding towards Athena and Galatea. "Though their strength is a given, it was believed that in situation where precision, creative thinking, and stealth were required – it should only be humans taking on the challenge. But regardless, our unit was formed to humor the idea and eventually 12 of us were assigned to the squad with me as it's commanding office."

"Did your Pokemon have to go through the same training you did?" asked Phillip.

"Of course – that was a given. But like humans, not all of them made it and some had to be given to family members or released. I mean, do you really think a Magmar would be able to sneak into a facility without setting off any fire alarms or chocking half its squad with that smog they give off? But still, despite the brass thinking we were nothing more than a sideshow, we made a name for ourselves as we conducted successful operations all over the world." He finished cleaning the rifle, cocking the hammer back.

"But this operation was different because of who were fighting," he continued, "The guys who snatched the bureaucrat were nothing more than thugs, but they were working with former soldiers who had become disillusioned. No pay, no future – men with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Combine that sort of reckless abandon with formal military training and you have a volatile situation."

"So what happened...?" asked Athena.

Erwin looked over to her and gave a bitter smile. "We went in anyway, of course. We dropped into the compound using a high altitude jump from a plane. Most of us landed inside with a few outside to secure an escape route. We killed the guards and secured the diplomat before the bastards even knew we were there. But once they did – it was hell on earth." A dark look came over Erwin's face as what were clearly dark memories came flowing back to him. "The air was rich with the smell of iron from all the blood and gore – so thick you felt like you would choke on it. The smoke from the explosions of small ordinance and burnt bodies made it even worse. But if there is one thing about battle that you can never know from second hand sources," he looked over each of them, "is the noise. The sounds of guns firing, grenades exploding, people screaming for help, their mothers, or their god. It's a noise so demonically great that if fills every pore of your body and every corner of your mind."

Phillip's blood went cold as the old man described the scene. He could tell Galatea couldn't even fathom such a place – Athena however remained stoic. No doubt her violent life gave her some way of relating to Erwin's story.

"Despite that – we fought our way out with that blubbering politician. He even shit himself and believe me – the stench didn't help make the job any easier. We got to the escape route and we were just about to get the hell out when one of us got hit." A darkened look came over Erwin – his eyes becoming hardened and his jaw noticeably tighter. "We we're ambushed by the leader of that militia – a former general – along with some of his best fighters. We would have been turned into mincemeat but one of our Pokemon – a Gardevoir - saw the attack coming and put up a barrier. It gave us just enough time except for one of us."

Phillip's eyes widened "You had a Gardevoir in your squad?!" He couldn't imagine someone Galatea in the middle of that inferno.

"We did – and it's because of that Pokemon that I'm still alive. It belonged to Sergeant Jaya Olson and many thought it would be too fragile for this line of work. But both Jaya and that Gardevoir had proven everyone wrong. They had saved the entire unit several times – but their luck ran out during that mission. Jaya was shot in her leg as one bullet made it through the barrier. I tried to pick her up and carry her to cover, but she pushed me away and yelled that I had to stay alive. That it wasn't my job to die some stupid death like in a war movie. Then she turned around and crawled as fast as she could to her Pokemon - to join it. She gave us cover fire until her last moment. I wanted to help – but I knew that the rest of my unit was counting on me. That's a dark reality of war – you can't save all of the lives that matter. All you can do is ensure that their not wasted."

He fell silent as his clenched his hands until his knuckles were bone white and shaking. "The two of them died when the barrier broke... The Gardevoir tried to shield her with it's body but nothing came of it - the bullets ripped right through both of them. I'm surprised it didn't just go ahead and wipe out the entire place – they can create a small black hole and suck everything in according to records. But I figure that's one of the reason Jaya went back to it - to remind it that it had a duty to us as well as her." He took a deep breath and continued, "That blubbering asshole kept shouting that we had to leave. _Get me the hell out of here _he kept yelling. Two of our soldiers had just died saving his ass and he couldn't care less. But that didn't stop us – we hit them back and killed every last one of the bastards minus the leader. We captured and dragged him with us to the pick up site. Given the circumstances – I decided a field sanction was in order."

"A field sanction..?" Phillip asked, even though he wasn't sure he wanted an answer.

Erwin locked eyes with him – and he could see a raw, primal sense of satisfaction floating in them. "Let's just say that after that he never had the chance to harm anyone – ever again."

_Three weeks later-_

The staccato sound of his weapon rang throughout the forest and shook him down to his very bones. He felt the recoil of the rifle as the butt buried itself into his shoulder. He held the weapon firmly in his hands, pulling down as the muzzle threatened to climb up and over where he was aiming. After thirty rounds, Phillip quickly pressed the release lever under his gun and threw the empty magazine to the side, loading a second and charging the handle. He fired again at the stone pillars Athena had formed in front of him. By the time he ran through his fourth magazine, they were pockmarked with bullet holes.

"CEASE FIRE!" came a familiar roar. Phillip removed the magazine and pulled the charging handle on his weapon to clear the chamber and stood up. Erwin walked past him and inspected the targets. He nodded with a hint of satisfaction.

_Good, _thought Phillip, _I didn't want another lecture about how not to spray and pray. _

"Not bad after a few weeks of training," he said as he patted the stone, "You've gotten better at placing your shots, even at full auto. Compared to before, you've become a crack shot."

"Well if this thing didn't kick around like a Taurus, I might had gotten to a better start," muttered Phillip.

"We'll it is a bit uncontrollable," conceded the former general, "That's why it didn't go into full circulation with our military units after all. Glad I snatched some for the units that were working under me, and a couple for myself as well."

"Isn't that stealing?"

"Only if you get caught."

Phillip looked down at the weapon he carried, it's brown wooden handguards contrasting against the dull colored metals that made up most of the gun. The full name of the rifle was Automatic Kalosian Rifle, Design Model Number 94, or AKR-94 for short. Even though he had only used it for a few weeks, he could appreciate how sturdy the thing was. He had left it soaking in a nearby river by accident overnight – which Erwin had reprimanded him for when he found out – and still, the thing had worked right after he fished it out. The cartridge it fired was a little on the heavy side for an assault rifle, according to Erwin, which it made it's accuracy a problem and had ultimately caused it to be rejected for service. But after Phillip got used to it's kick, it was easy enough to control. It's need for maintenance was almost a laughable – Erwin joked it would be enough if you tied your shoe laces into knots, dip them in engine oil, and yank them through the barrel. Even so, he had taught Phillip how to break down the gun into pieces for a complete cleaning.

A familiar growl shook him back to reality. "I'm impressed – you actually got something through that thick skull of yours."

He turned around and saw his two companions sitting under the shade of a large oak where they had observed his practice. Athena laid on the ground, her head held up by her elongated neck. Over the past several weeks her condition had improved, made obvious by the vibrant colors on her body and her general physical abilities which had gotten stronger – if that were possible. Galatea, in comparison, looked very much the same as before. But like Athena, her abilities were much more potent than they had been before. She was able to use Teleport much more rapidly, disappearing and reappearing almost instantaneously now - even in the middle of the air without need for a physical point to aim for. She had not been able to replicate the tremendous force of the Psyschock she had used on the Nidoking, but even so, her attacks had become more destructive.

This was all because Erwin had insisted they train together for everything, not that Phillip had minded. He kept them to a strict schedule, getting them up at dawn and letting them rest well after sunset. Strength, speed, coordination, and for Phillip squad leader tactics, were constantly hammered in. He had explained to him that being a trainer and being a combat leader were similar, but had one main difference. A trainer raises their Pokemon to fight for them, where as a squad leader trains their soldiers and themselves so they can fight together. This didn't mean that Pokemon and humans were essentially equals in every way. But to Erwin and others like him, anyone willing to send another to fight and die had to be prepared to make the same sacrifice – it wasn't enough to claim credit for the growth of another's power. _Being weak is a sin, _he had once said. It was exhausting to be sure, but Phillip now felt more secure about their situation than before and he knew the other two felt the same way. The old general had really come through for the three of them, and Phillip felt a sense gratitude to the man that he hadn't felt for another human being in a very, very long time.

"Alright," said Erwin, "next we'll put into practice the coordination between you and your team in combat."

Phillip was surprised – up until then infantry tactics, as Erwin called them, had been something Phillip, Galatea, and Athena had only learned about in theory with minor mock ups. Jumping from that into a straight fight seemed much.

"You sure about that? What about accidents?" he asked.

"You'll be using stun rounds of course," said Erwin, "At worst you'll give someone a nasty shock. Besides that's the type of round you'll be using for the most part out here."

"We can do it Phillip," came Galatea's voice, "We've been practicing for what feels like forever!"

Phillip looked to Athena. "What?" she asked. "I'm up for it. Oh, but if you shoot me with one of those things, I"ll kick your ass." She gave him a wicked grin. She had spunk to be sure.

"Excellent" said Erwin, "But first all you get something to eat. You're going to need it."

_One hour later-_

The kid had gotten good, almost too good, thought Erwin as he ate his MRE by the riverbed.

His skills with a firearm was impressive, and he had adjusted quickly to his new weapon. He was prone to random bouts of anger, but for the most part kept himself cool and level headed in training. Erwin didn't even have a problem with insubordination, which he had been expecting given his background. But once he was committed, Phillip dedicated everything he had to his goal. It was tragic really, if only his family hadn't -

A rustling in the brush broke his trail of thought. On instinct, he dropped the packet of food in his hand and pulled out the service pistol he kept holstered under his left arm. The turned, unlocking the safety, and trained the sights on where the noise had come from, only to be confronted with Phillip's Kirlia. The two stood frozen for a moment, the Kirlia standing there with it wide red eyes, before Erwin lowered his firearm.

"You might not want to sneak up on me like that," he grumbled as he picked up his food. "That is if you plan of living a long life."

"I'm sorry, I just... wanted to ask you something," said the Pokemon nervously. Erwin had been surprised when he had heard it's voice for the first time in his head. It was much more delicate and human-like than most other Psychic Pokemon he had encountered. It was almost like talking to a person.

"We'll," he said patting the rock next to him, "ask away."

The small Pokemon climbed onto the spot next to him, and was silent for a moment, like it was pondering something profound.

"Is Phillip... going to have to kill that guy? Gino?" she asked hesitantly.

Erwin stopped halfway from putting a spoonful of rice and chicken into his mouth. He lowered his food and turned to look at the Kirlia. "If it comes down to it, then yes, he will have to," he said, "that's just how the world is sometimes. Kill or be killed, but I'm here to give you three the best chance at survival."

"But it's not fair!" it said forcefully. "Why does he have to kill someone? Why can't he be left alone? Why can't all of us be left alone?"

Erwin swore it was saying the same stuff he knew Phillip was prone to saying. But with a mental connection, it was inevitable that some of his thought patterns were going to filter into the Pokemon, and vice versa. "The world doesn't care about what's fair," he grunted, "It almost never does. Hell, it doesn't matter to us humans most of the time and we came up with the damn idea." He spooned another mouthful of food into his mouth. "Besides," he said, "I think he was trying to keep to himself, but then you showed up. So there's one reason he can't be left alone."

"So is that it then?" it asked with a slight tone of exasperation, "Phillip doesn't have any choice? The world's not fair and that's it?"

"Don't kid yourself," snapped Erwin, losing his patience, "The kid has been through that already as a child. You know as well as I do that what happened to his family drove that point home."

"Wait, what?" asked the Pokemon. He looked down at it, and saw it's eyes widen. "You know what happened to his family?"

"Well yeah... From his records that we found. You know that too, right?" Only silence came from the Pokemon as Erwin looked at it. "Huh," he muttered, "you really don't know what happened, do you?"

"No I don't – because I - " it stuttered.

"But how is that possible? Human minds are like books to your kind," he pressed. "How the hell is it possible that you don't know?"

"Because I want him to tell me by choice!" it retorted almost angrily. He waited quietly, and it continued. "It's not right that I forcibly get those memories from him. Whatever they are, they're painful and it's his choice if he wants to tell me. Friends don't take stuff from each other. And we're friends so..." Her voice trailed off.

"Friends huh?" he muttered half to himself as he looked back down at the water. "Then how about I tell you then? You wouldn't be forcing him to tell you. You would be getting it from me secondhand. No harm - no foul."

"No – it's his choice to make, not yours," it said curtly.

"Hmph," he said nodding, "well alright then."

The Kirlia was silent again for a moment. "So then," it began to ask, "Is what happened to his family the reason he's so closed off?"

Erwin pondered for a moment on how to answer the question. "I've been through battles where men and women have been torn apart," he finally said. "The screams of people crying for help, or for a medic, keep playing in my head over and over. I've breathed in black smoke that made your lungs burn like fire from a Magmar. The things that I've seen still come back and haunt me, even years later." He looked back at the Kirlia, it's eyes were fixed on him like two red sapphires. "But I'd rather go through all of that again than experience what that kid went through. If there was ever such a thing as a hell on earth, he saw it that day."

He waited for it to respond, but the Pokemon sat in silence - perhaps he had said too much? He was about to turn back to it when a flash of light erupted, and it was gone.

_Two hours later-_

The area for their battle was a heavily wooded section of the forest about 1 square mile in size. Athena had used her Stone Edge to create a makeshift barrier surrounding the spot – to minimize collateral damage. In the middle, more stone barriers had been scattered around to provide cover to complete the arena. Both teams would begin on opposite sides of the designated training ground – Phillip's team from the Southwest and Erwin's from Northeast. He had no idea what kind of Pokemon the old man might use – he had only ever seen the Hydreigon. But he knew that the guy carried a full number of Pokeballs with him – a total of six. Erwin had told him he would only use one Pokemon for this exercise – but if they were all as strong as the Hydreigon then that was less than comforting.

_I can do this, I can do this,_ were the only thoughts Phillip could run through his head as he gripped the weapon in his hand nervously.

He felt something gently grab his left hand. He looked down and saw Galatea's red eyes looking back at him. She had a small, but nervous, smile on her face.

"_We _can do this," she said in a soothing voice. "You're not alone. Don't forget that."

"Hmph, well _I _can do this. You guys just better not slow me down," snipped Athena next to them.

The two small gestures made him feel more at ease, but his heart was still pounding. But if they were willing to do this, then he was obligated to do his best as well. He steadied himself and nodded to the pair. He reached down and unclipped a magazine with stun rounds from his belt and locked it into place under his rifle. He pulled the charging handle back and loaded the first round into the chamber.

Suddenly, a bright red glow from a flare erupted in the sky in front of them. The exercise had begun. Neither of them said a word as they walked into the brush – but he knew they were ready. He hoped he was as well.

_One hour later-_

The quiet stillness was gonna drive her fucking crazy, though Athena. They had been walking slowly through the brush for what seemed like an eternity but still, they hadn't seen a goddamn thing yet. She wished she could just run out and find Erwin and his group and smack them into the ground. But Phillip had told her to move slow and be quiet.

_He might as well ask me to be a Slowpoke, _she thought bitterly.

To make things worse, her sense of smell was useless because they were going upwind, so she couldn't smell out anything in front of them. She looked over at Galatea and signaled to her, asking if she felt anything. The Kirlia looked at her and shook her head sideways.

_That sucks, but at least that means Erwin and company aren't around us,_ she thought.

Phillip held up his hand, signaling them to stop. The group halted, and then moved to take cover behind one of the obstacles Athena had made days before. It had taken a week for her to prep this area.

"This is fucking stupid," she spat, "do we even know if we passed the guy?"

"That's true," added Galatea, "this area is so huge that it's possible we didn't even meet each other."

"No," came Phillip's response as he looked around their hiding spot, "I doubt that he would have set up this arena if that was a possibility. If we don't find him, I'm sure he'll find us." He turned to Galatea. "You sure you can't sense anything?"

"Yes, Erwin isn't anywhere around us. He's at least a quarter mile away."

Athena was just about to say something when the wind suddenly kicked back in the opposite direction. Her senses flared up as she felt a new, strong, scent in the air. That could only mean -

"IN FRONT OF US!"

Her words were overtaken by a sudden eruption of noise from the spot where the scent was strongest. The stone pillar suddenly started shaking as it was hit by multiple rounds, causing bits of stone and dirt to kick into the air.

Suddenly, she heard the same puttering sound coming from next to her. She looked up saw Phillip firing back, his body shaking, but his eyes focused and cold.

"Galatea keep an eye out!" he shouted over the noise. "Make sure that nothing gets behind us!"

"Okay! But how did he-" she began to ask.

"That doesn't matter right now! Just do it!"

Athena crawled up to him and tugged at his pant leg.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do then?!" she yelled out.

"Flank him!" He swung back around their cover and reloaded. "I'll provide cover fire and keep him distracted. Move as quietly as you can and don't forget – we still don't know who his partner is." He swung back around and continued shooting.

Athena got down on the ground as flat as she could, and started to crawl through the forest floor. The zipping noise of bullets flying over her head caused to her to flinch every time they came close. She knew they were stun rounds – but that's didn't make her feel any better right now. She made her way around the fight, trying to zero in on the sound of Erwin's weapon and his scent. Minutes passed like hours, but if she could keep this up, then maybe she could take Erwin down herself - if she could find the fucker.

A thought suddenly creeped into her head – how had Galatea messed up like this? With a Psychic Pokemon on their side, they should have known where the old fart was well before they got this close to him, making an ambush difficult if not impossible. Dark Pokemon were capable of surprising type's like Galatea, but a human is another story unless...

A sudden realization washed over her like ice water – u_nless Erwin has a Pokemon that's a Psychic type or can learn Psychic moves as his teammate and it blocked out Galatea's abilities. _

"Clever girl - you figured it out!" The voice cut through all the noise of the fight, like a knife through flesh, causing Athena to snap her head upward. There, in the shade of the oak she was under, was a black mass with piercing yellow eyes, fixed right on her. They stared at each other before the creature's face broke into wide grin, revealing sharp rows of small, saw like teeth.

"Congratulations..." it said in sweet, menacing voice.

Then the ground below Athena's feet erupted.

_Phillip and Galatea_

The sudden screeching noise following the explosion caused Galatea of cover her ears with her hands, but that did next to nothing to block it out. Phillip did the same thing as he bared his teeth under the intense and sudden pain. Galatea could barely make it out, but the noise and the blast seemed to be coming from the direction Athena took on her way to attack Erwin.

Suddenly, as if responding to her thoughts, Athena landed in front of the pair, having been blown back from whatever was making that huge racket. The noise stopped, and the two of them ran up to their fallen partner.

"Athena! Athena! Wake up!" shouted Phillip as he shook her body. Even though he was right next to him, his voice sounded muffled.

The dragon's claw suddenly came up and wrapped itself around Phillip's outstretched arm. "Stop shaking me..." she said is a weak voice, "It doesn't exactly help the pain... you dumbass" she added.

Before either of them could say anything, more bullets hit the trees around them. Phillip bolted up, and fired back with his own gun. Galatea sat next to her adopted sister, a sense of helplessness coming over her.

"I guess if you can still joke like that," shouted Phillip over the noise, "Then things can't be that bad right?"

"Oh no, we're still unbelievably screwed," said Athena as she staggered back onto her feet.

Suddenly, a large shadow covered the area where they stood, turning day to night. Before Galatea could even look up, Phillip bolted, swinging his weapon onto his back and grabbing her and Athena in his arms. They were just fast enough to escape the explosion that consumed the spot where they had been standing – but the shockwave shoved them into the brush. From where they landed, the three of them stood up in cover, and saw their would be attacker floating overhead.

The Pokemon had large bat-like green wings with a jet black body. On it's back was a mane of white fur and red claws grew from it's arms and legs. However, it's most striking feature was what Galatea could only describe as a pair of large ears. It's yellow reptilian eyes were darting back and forth, looking for them.

"What the hell is that?" hissed Phillip.

"Not sure," whispered Athena, "But that's the sucker that blew me and my fucking cover."

"Phillip – didn't the professor give you something to identify other Pokemon?" asked Galatea. If they were going to win this, they needed to know everything they could.

Without taking his eyes off their new enemy, he reached for the device in his back pocket and activated it.

"Noivern. Fuck-" he said after reading the text, "That thing can learn Psychic attacks. That's why you didn't get a read on Erwin until we walked into this shit."

"Can it read minds too?" Asked Galatea.

"It doesn't say but I doubt it," said Phillip as he loaded another magazine, "It's not a Psychic type, so running some interference plus standard attacks are probably it's limit."

"But the problem is it's in the freaking sky," muttered Athena, "We can't get close to it."

Athena was right – they couldn't make a reach that Dragon from where they were. But there had to be a solution. The three of them together could overcome anything, Galatea was certain of this. They couldn't give in now.

"We can still do this - " came Galatea's voice.

Athena and Phillip turned to the Kirlia.

"Are you crazy?" muttered the dragon, "or have you not been paying attention?"

"We just need to play to our skills!" she insisted, "Together we can do anything! We've beaten the odds before! We just have to be creative!"

Phillip turned back around as a new sound reached them – he fired his weapon just as the Pokemon moved towards them. He missed, but the barrage pushed the creature back and away from them. Seconds later, they ducked as Erwin fired back at them. Galatea hated this noise – it always made her tremble – but she couldn't afford to lose her nerve now.

"She's right," said Phillip over the noise of whistling bullets.

"Say what?," asked Athena.

"She's right," he repeated, "We just have to be creative – or crazy depending on how you look at it." He looked over at Galatea with a smile, "We're going to do something that only a maniac would try – you in?"

Galatea nodded without a moment's hesitation - she would always be there for him no matter what. She looked over at Athena expectingly.

"Why not? Sounds fun," she added with a wicked grin.

"Okay you two, here's the plan...," began Phillip.

_Erwin-_

Erwin was surprised by their resilience – he had never met a recruit so stubborn in the face of defeat. Whenever he tried to get closer to Phillip's position – he would respond by spraying the area around Erwin, slowing him down long enough for one of his two Pokemon to launch a poorly aimed attack to follow up. Hermes kept trying to flush them out, but could no longer get a hard read on their location.

_Kid probably figured out her Psychic abilities. Many would underestimate her skills, but since he's the cautious type, he'll be using the Kirlia to block out any Psychic read on their minds just to be safe. _

The only safe route might be to take a path of attrition. Eventually, Phillip would run out of ammunition at the rate he was firing. The bursts were getting smaller and smaller, so he was running low now anyway. Once that happened, he would be at a disad -

The familiar noise of staccato gunfire sounded through the forest, breaking Erwin's trail of thought. He rolled to his right and took cover on a small downward incline. The bullets and whistled over his head and created small puffs of dirt as they dug into the ground. Without missing a beat, Hermes flew from her position overhead and towards the noise of the suppressing fire. Erwin risked a glance and looked over the crest of his cover. A couple of close shots caused Erwin to duck back down.

_Why isn't he trying to shoot down Hermes, _he thought to himself.

A low rumble shook the ground below him, causing him to glance back up. Now, stone pillars had sprouted like weeds around the kid's firing position, partially obscuring Erwins view. The fire kept coming at him, but the bursts were smaller now.

Hermes was in position – and was getting ready for her attack – Boomburst. Her species was one of only a few who could use this type of technique. The special organs in her body allowing her to use ultrasonic waves gave her the ability to unleash all hell with this attack, destroying rocks and boulders much larger than the cover Phillip had erected for himself. And now, it one tremendous burst of ear splitting noise and power, Hermes unleashed that attack on them.

The sounds waves instantly reached the improvised bunker, and it dissolved into a cloud of dust and bits of stone. The blast carried over to where Erwin was, lashing his face with wind and bits of debris. He had to use his arm to block out the stuff from getting in his eyes. The firing stopped immediately. He looked back and slowly rose from his position – he hoped that Phillip and his team were okay. He probably should have told Hermes to hold back just a little. He started walking towards the spot.

A bright flash followed by a cry from overhead stopped Erwin in his tracks and forced him to look upwards. There, on Herme's back, was Phillip and that blasted Kirlia. The two of them held onto Herme's mane for dear life as the dragon was trying to buck it's new and unwanted passengers. The added weight made it difficult for the Noivern to stay in the air.

Erwin raised his gun up and tried to get a bead on the two of them, but at this range he might hit Hermes. As Erwin watched in utter shock, Phillip raised his gun up and pointed the muzzle at the dragon's back. A single shot rang out into the open. Hermes suddenly stopped and her body went rigid, as if an electrical current had gone through her, before she slowly fell back to earth. A flash of violet light erupted, and suddenly the dragon and her two riders were gone.

"Hello there geezer," Erwin looked down at where the voice had come from - and met the eyes of the Gabite along with it's malicious grin filled with razor teeth. He swung his gun around too late as the dragon's glowing claw swung around, slamming into him and sending him flying. With a crash, he lost consciousness.

_That evening-_

"I have never – in all my life – seen something so insane as that!" laughed Erwin as they all ate. He slapped Phillip's back as if to emphasize the point, causing him to choke on some food.

After the battle, Erwin and his Noivern – they had since learned her name was Hermes – had come to. Phillip had expected to be berated over the plan he had made up. But on the contrary, the old man had started laughing and talking about how great it had been the moment he had awoken. It was rare of someone to compliment him on anything – it was a strange feeling to be honest. And maybe this guy wasn't so bad after all.

"I'm just glad we pulled it off," said Phillip after washing down some food with water, "And we owe it in large part to her." He pointed at Galatea who sat across from him.

Erwin nodded in agreement. "That took perfect timing little lady," he said, "Using the dust to cover your move was perfect. A second earlier and I would have know you got away. Any later and you three would have been finished. You have a lot to be proud of." After the fight – Phillip had noted the old general had some newfound respect for Galatea.

The Kirlia said nothing – she blushed and looked back down with a smile on her face.

"Well what am I then – chopped liver?" asked Athena.

"You did call me geezer before knocking me out so..." teased Erwin.

The three of them erupted in laughter as Phillip watched. He smiled but that was all he could do. He wished he could be like them and enjoy simple pleasures like this and on rare occasion he did. But more often than not – guilt which festered deep in his heart would bubble to the surface and rob him of any pleasant feelings. The two with him certainly deserved better – someone who could laugh and still feel their basic humanity. Someone who was not just strong physically, but mentally and emotionally. Someone without so many regrets as him.

_Where was this strength when I needed? Right – little sister? _

He looked up from his own thoughts and met Galatea's eyes. Once again, he could see she was worried about him – he often forgot that his thoughts and feelings eventually made their way to her. If possible, that reality made him feel even worse. But nonetheless, he smiled back at her. She did the same, but he could feel her trying to cheer him up emotionally, something that he would have to thank her for. He could never quite understand why she was so insistent on coming along with him – her kind gravitated towards those with a good soul and heart.

The rest of the night was spent well enough and Erwin told them all he would leave the next day. Phillip would miss the old man – but hopefully now they could do the job they were supposed to do.

_I'm sure Sycamore is chomping at the bit by now for some data, _he thought to himself.

_Phillip-_

He was back home – back with his family – back to his old self – before that night.

He was running in the yard behind his parent's home – the warm sun glowing in the cloudless sky. His mother and father were watching them from the porch, smiling as their children played a game of tag. In front of him, was his sister in a summer dress – the one she had pleaded with their mother to buy for her.

Phillip tried to catch up to her – but she was always so much faster than he was. Her broad smile was as warm as the day – and her hair flowed in the wind like satin. She laughed as she outran her older brother without breaking a sweat.

"Come on bro! A Slowpoke is faster than you!", she laughed.

"That's not fair! You're too fast!", he cried after her.

She turned around to face him again, but suddenly her face changed from happiness – to a look of utter fear.

"Big brother...", she said in a quiet whisper tinged with horror.

Phillip turned back – and saw the figure of a man standing behind him. He was gargantuan – and only his outline could be seen against the darkness behind him. He turned around to look for his parents – but they were gone.

"Sister run!", he shouted. But she was suddenly pulled away by an unseen force, she reached out her hard as she yelled out his name.

"PHILLIP! HELP ME!"

His eyes opened up from the terrible nightmare. His body was soaked with sweat and was shaking, both out of fear and the cold night. He took a moment to orient himself – but as he did so – he realized something.

He wasn't at the camp anymore – and he was standing in the middle of a clearing.

He looked around – was he dreaming still? He pinched the skin on his arm until the red hot pain became unbearable. He let go.

_What the hell? Did I sleepwalk all the way here then?_

He looked around to find anything that could tell him where he was. Behind him were tracks – his own - and they could lead him back to the others. He began to follow them when suddenly a voice reached him.

"Big brother..." It said in almost a whisper.

He looked back, but saw nothing. His eyes darted back and forth, looking for anything, or anyone who could have made such a noise.

"Big brother...", came the voice a second time, but much stronger.

"Who's there?!", he yelled out. His heart was beating so hard it could have burst from his chest at any moment. He reached down for his knife, and cursed as he realized he had left it behind. "Show yourself!"

"Silly – you know who I am...", the voice was right behind him.

He turned back and what he saw made his blood run cold and his mind freeze up. Only one word came out of his mouth.

"Sister..?" he asked.

It was her – just as he remembered her. Her gray eyes reflected the moonlight, and her light brown hair curled around itself, falling to her shoulders in a ponytail. She was wearing the dress she had had in his dream. But how?

"Of course silly – you couldn't have forgotten me of all people right?", she said with a smile.

"No – but – this isn't possible," he stuttered.

She took a step towards him, her smile never leaving her face.

"But why? I'm your little sister, and I miss my big brother who I haven't seen in ages," she said cheerfully.

"But – how can – how can you be here?" His mind was coming back, slowly, but his body was frozen in place.

"You act as though I shouldn't be here. Why?" She was just a few feet away. She was walking towards him – but her footsteps made no noise nor did they leave any prints on the ground. A sudden breeze flew around them. Her dress didn't move in response – a fact Phillip noticed.

"No - this is wrong. You can't be here because-" his voiced seized up – and all he could see were her gray eyes in front of him.

"Because you let me _die_. Isn't that what you want to say – big brother?" Her voice was distorted and menacing, as if two people were speaking as one. Her eyes changed to bright red – and as they did so – Phillip lost consciousness. He felt as though he was falling into eternal darkness – so black that nothing could escape it.

"Let's revisit that day – _big brother," _the voice said in mocking affection as the light from the moon faded away. "Let's remember the day you let _all of us_ die..."


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello everyone! Here is the next chapter. I'm trying to keep them shorter if possible to put them out more regularly. I hope you all enjoy and please leave a comment. It's helps out a lot and lets me know you're enjoying the story! The next chapter will be up as soon as possible.**

**Note: Pokemon and it's characters are all owned by their respective owners. I am merely using these items to tell a fan made story.**

**I Will Protect You**

**Chapter 9**

**-Galatea-**

Galatea found herself in a white space filled with a bright, but soft, light. She could not remember how she got there, or where she had been. She turned to look around but couldn't make out anything in the emptiness – neither the horizon nor even the ground she felt she stood on - she was just there. Confused and disoriented, she almost jumped when she heard a voice echo around her.

"You have to wake up, Galatea."

A shock ran through her body as the voice that reached her ears – not because of its sudden presence, but because she had heard it before. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. When she turned, her heart skipped at what she saw - her older sister standing before her. Her slender body was covered in the white gown all Gardevoir come to posses when they evolve. The hair on the top of her head was a soft tint of green that accented her red irises. On her chest was a bright red protruding spike, the ultimate embodiment of their kind's heart.

Galatea jumped to her older sibling before she even knew it and embraced her tightly. Her heart overflowed with all manner of emotions as she hugged her long lost sibling.

"Sister! You're here! You found me!" ,she cried out in joy as tears welled up in her eyes. "I missed you so much! I can't believe it's you!"

Her older sister placed her hand on top of her head and gently patted her.

"I missed you too sister. I'm glad that you've been doing well," she said gently. Ever since their parents had been captured by trainers, Galatea's older sister had taken on the role of mother to her siblings. Growing up, she had always made sure to protect them from all dangers and had saved Galatea on multiple occasions, just like...

Galatea's eyes widened as she remembered. She looked back up at her older sister with excitement. "That's right! You have meet Phillip! He saved me after we got seperated! Trust me, he's not like other humans! He's super nice!"

"Unfortunately little sister..." came a sad reply, "that's not going to happen today."

The joyous feelings in Galatea's heart faded as the words reached her ears. "Wh-what do you mean?" she asked as she pushed away from her. "Is it because he's human?"

"No my sister... What I mean is that you've run out of time." The world around them began to darken and her sister's voice began to fade. "You have to save him."

"Save him!?" Galatea cried out as the white void faded to nothingness along with the image of her sister. "Wait!" She reached out trying to grab hold of her, but they were already too far apart. "What's happening!? Who do I have to save him from!?"

A simple word echoed in the darkness. "Himself."

**-Galatea-**

She awoke from her dream with a start and bolted upright. She was covered in a cold sweat and her body wouldn't stop shaking – she felt clammy all over. Her chest burned and she was out of breath, as if she had been running all day. She took deep breaths of air to calm herself down as the vision played itself over and over again in her mind. Then she remembered what the vision of her sister had told her.

It's okay, she thought to herself, I'm just going to turn around and he'll be sleeping there like always is. It'll be okay. She turned hoping to see her friend, but the only thing that greeted her was an empty space – Phillip was gone.

Her heart started beating inside her chest as she felt the urge to run – to do something. But she couldn't figure out what. Where could he have gone? Could he really be in danger? Was he already-

She shook her head to free herself from all of these thoughts. She couldn't lose control – not now. He needed her – she had to be strong.

She scrambled to her feet and ran over to Athena and shook her awake. The dragon came to with a light groan.

"Uhhhh what the hell shrimp?" She asked in a dazed voice.

"Athena – wake up – I think Phillip is in trouble! He's gone!"

The words seemed to have some kind of magical effect on her adopted sister. Athena's eyes opened and focused as she got up – all signs of fatigue suddenly leaving her. She looked and saw the empty spot where their friend had been asleep.

"How long has he been gone?" she demanded.

"I don't know – I just woke up. But in my dream my sister told me he was in trouble so I..." Galatea realized how crazy she must have sounded. But Athena didn't seem to care.

"Okay. We have to find him then – and as fast as fucking possible if that's true. We'll follow his tracks." She pointed to the ground and Galatea saw tracks leading away from the site. "Let's wake up Erwin – we might need him."

The pair walked up to the old man who was laying on his side. He was sleeping peacefully – a miracle since he tended to snore. Athena prodded him – but nothing came of it. She tried to yell in his ear, kicked him, and even bit his forearm - it would have been funny if they weren't in a hurry. But still, nothing.

Galatea's body tensed. "Is he - ?"

"No," Athena cut her off before she could finish as she stared at Erwin unresponsive body. "He's breathing – but this isn't normal. It's like he's in a very deep sleep – way deeper than any human could go." The dragon looked up. "Someone is doing this on purpose. We have to move."

"To find Phillip?" asked Galatea.

Athena turned to face her. "To find him - and to rip out the throat of whoever or whatever the fuck is doing this."

**-Athena-**

The two of them were running through the forest as fast as they could. Branches snapped under her claws as Athena followed the tracks in the moonlight and their scent when the trees threw them into pitch blackness. Galatea followed close behind her – she prayed (to whomever she could think of) the Kirlia wouldn't freak the hell out and keep calm. She had hoped that by now they would have run into that idiot going for a walk or taking a piss somewhere. But as the distance grew from their camp, Athena began to feel a creeping realization that this was more than that.

She noticed something about the tracks also. They were irregular – suggesting that Phillip had been stumbling along rather than walking normally. It wasn't normal – but she didn't know what to make of it either. She didn't want to tell the shrimp either. The last thing she needed was for her to break down.

Or maybe he's just piss drunk somewhere, she thought to herself. Doubtful – but a little humor could go a long way in any situation.

"Are we almost there?" There was tension in Galatea's question – she was beyond worried right now.

"I think so – the scent is getting stronger. He should be just up ahead."

Then she heard it – the screaming. It was a howling, primal screaming – like someone getting bludgeoned to death. The kinds of cries she had heard all the time working with Gino – the sounds of someone getting murdered like an animal. Without saying a word they ran – faster than perhaps either of them ever had. She could feel Galatea's emotions – desperation and horror gripped her heart. Hell, she was feeling the same way.

They jumped through into a clearing and finally saw him. Phillip was lying on the ground, hollering and screaming words that Athena couldn't really understand. His body was convulsing and twisting as if he was struggling against an unseen force holding him down. On instinct, Galatea practically threw herself towards him – but years of experience won out in Athena's own mind and she grabbed the idiot before she got far.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" came Galatea's voice, "WE HAVE TO HELP HIM!"

"IT'S A TRAP YOU DUMBASS. WE'RE NOT ALONE HERE!" As the words left Athena's voice, an explosion erupted in front of them where Galatea would have been standing had Athena not pulled her back. The dust settled, and a dark shape appeared amongst the debris.

"We'll you're certainly perceptive aren't you?" came a cackling voice. "You're kind are such primitive beasts that I figured you would be the one to dive in headfirst." The thing looked up with red eyes and a wide, malicious grin spread over it's face. It's body was short and a dark violet – with stubby arms and legs. Now Athena knew what they were dealing with – and they were beyond fucked unless divine intervention was in play here.

"Wh- what is that Athena?" asked Galatea in a tense whisper.

"That's a Gengar – a fully evolved Pokemon." Athena spat her words out – they tasted like crap. "This isn't good – we can't win this fight as we are."

"But we have to save him!" The Kirlia wrestled herself free from her grasp. She turned to face their adversary. "Give me back my friend you monster!"

"Monster?" The Ghost feigned a look of being insulted. "I'm just doing what I naturally do. I seek out people who have the most delicious dreams and devour them piece by piece." It's wide mouth opened as it licked it's lips. "The more painful the better."

"What the fuck to mean by that?" Athena had to buy them more time as she thought of a plan that didn't involve them getting fucking wasted by that thing.

"It's just like I said... I'm devouring his life force by making him relieve the most painful memories he can dream of. And let me tell you they-are-great! The pain – the agony – the tragedy – all of it spread out for the picking!" It could barely contain it's pleasure. Athena began to feel a very strong desire to forget planning and to kill this thing – the fact that it was a ghost could go to hell. But then, a chill ran down Athena's spine – _what the hell did it mean by tragedy_?

Galatea spoke before she got the chance. "What do you mean? No... - you can't be doing that -" her voice was laced with anger – boiling raging anger the like that Athena had never expected from her.

"Oh so you do know!" came the Gengar's micking reply. It narrowed it's eyes as it smiled. "That particular memory is just delectable! I'm making him relieve it - over and over again..."

The two of them snapped at the same time – Athena and Galatea jumped at the ghost.

"You fucking asshole!" Athena hollered as she swung with her Dragon Claw.

"You'll pay for this!" Galatea let lose a volley of Psyshock.

The Gengar never stopped smiling as it jumped and dodged the attacks. Phillip's screams were muffled for a moment by them hitting solid earth. Galatea vanished and appeared over the Gengar and attacked again. The Gengar began to move to it's left to dodge, and Athena took full advantage. She attacked with Stone Edge, angling the attack so that it emerged from the Gengars left, and impaled it. Held in place, Galatea's Psyshock hit it's mark and the whole spot burst into a cloud of dust.

Galatea reappeared next to Phillip – his screaming had become a low, painful groan with their last attack on the Gengar– but it hadn't stopped.

"Phillip – please wake up – wake up!" Galatea shook him frantically – her eyes bulging from her head.

"Galatea – that won't do him any good..." Athena said with a bitter tone as she ran up to her. "The only way to stop this is to beat that thing once and for all."

"Then I'll teleport us! If we get far away from here then-!"

"Stop freaking out and listen," Athena took a deep breath, "I've seen this kind of attack before. It's called Dream Eater and in most cases that shit is fatal. He has to be woken up or the effects will linger until he's dead. We have to weaken that piece of shit to have any chance of waking him out of it" She looked squarely into Galatea's eyes, "And the only person who can wake him is you."

"But I don't know-"

"You have to go into his mind and pull him out of there – it's that simple." Athena knew it wouldn't be but that didn't matter anymore – they were out of options. "Go in and find him, wake him, before it's too late. I'll cover you guys in the meantime."

As if on queue, the dust settled and the Gengar emerged, it's mouth a maniacal grin as laughter flowed from it like poison – it had never stopped enjoying itself.

_You motherfucker_, thought Athena.

"But you can't fight it alone!" cried out the Kirlia.

"Don't patronize me you fucking shrimp. I said it before, I will be you're guy's blade. I will not abandon you two and I will earn my namesake." Athena faced her enemy – like she had countless times before. "You have a fight too – but your battlefield is elsewhere- now go already!"

Athena stabbed the ground and pillars of stone emerged around the pair, enclosing them a protective shelter and cutting them off from the outside. It was all she could do for them – that and buy them some time.

"You're certainly noble aren't you?" mocked the Gengar. "Sacrificing your own life for those two? Are you so lacking in self-preservation you stupid lizard?"

Athena looked at it – and grinned. "Nothing is more important to me than kin – guess I'm just stupid that way. So be ready you stupid fucker, because you're going to the afterlife for a second time!"

Athena lunged forward with teeth bared and claws at the ready. Her roar echoed through the forest – a decree of a goddess of war on the battlefield.

**-Galatea-**

Galatea sat next to Phillip – his face was twisted with agony and his groans had become softer – which meant they were running out of time. The only light came from the small opening left at the top where the pillars met imperfectly. The moonlight illuminated her friend's face and it's pain, but the sounds of the fight outside also came through that opening.

She was afraid – no – she was terrified. Athena was outside this shelter, fighting with all her might to give them a chance at survival. And Phillip was in front of her – his life slowly fading.

This is a nightmare! Galatea held herself as she began to shake. What can we do! What can I do? I have to save them! But how? Someone – anyone – please help!

The wall behind her exploded as an attack struck it from the outside – the inside of the shelter was thrown into darkness as the dustcloud covered them both. The force of the blast knocked her back against the other side of the enclosure. Galatea gasped as she turned and saw a dark shape rushing at them – only for a new wall to erupt from the ground – enclosing them again. She heard a thull thud as something struck the newly erected barrier, followed by cries and sounds of struggle. She waited – but nothing else happened and so slowly, she crawled back to Phillip.

No – now was not the time for panic. She knew what she had to do – what Athena and Phillip needed her to do. They're a family and even if the odds were against them – even if the world was against them – they would beat them all. She would not let that creature - this world – have its way.

She had no time to ponder any further. She closed her eyes and opened the psychic link she had with Phillip as wide as it could go and felt herself float away into his mind.

Suddenly her body was on the move again as if she was in the middle of a great storm. She opened her eyes and saw blurred images rushing past her. It was like she was in a tunnel made up of these pictures. They were his past – everything that had happened in his life. Voices – human voices- were whispering all around her but she couldn't make out any of the words.

She looked ahead and saw all of the visions twisting into a single point of light. It was coming right at her – there was no way to slow down. She closed her eyes and braced herself for an impact- but it never came. Instead she stopped abruptly and felt solid ground beneath her feet.

She tentatively opened her eyes – and was met with what she could only describe as a sky, filled with black clouds. It resembled the white void she had seen in her dream, but nowhere near as peaceful. And plus, there was something there with her.

In the middle, floating just like her, was what she could only describe as a black shard of crystal. It was twice as large as she was and pitch black with what looked like dark red glowing cracks on it's surface. Every once in a while, what she could only describe as red lightning crackled along its surface. It gave the appearance of a black hole suspended in space. She walked up slowly to it. Could this be it? Are these his memories from before?

She reached out to touch the object.

"I wouldn't if I were you." She spun around and saw someone standing there. A boy? "That place is bad. You shouldn't go there." The human child had a shirt with a human symbol on it, jeans, shoes, and messy hair the same color as Phillip's.

"Who are you? How did you get here?" she asked. This could be one of the Gengar's traps.

"My name is Phillip. This is where I've always been. How about you? Do I know you?" He stepped closer to look at her. "You _look_ familiar."

"I'm Phillip's – your – friend. My name is Galatea. We're travelling together."

"Oh!", the boy's eyes grew wide with excitement, "Does that mean I'm Pokemon trainer!?"

"No – not exactly," Galatea wasn't sure what to say. Even if this child was Phillip, it was strange to see him like this - bright eyes, a wide smile. "But me and another Pokemon are travelling with you."

"That's so cool! But wait - " he pointed at her, "If we're travelling out there, then what are you doing in here?"

"I'm here... because I need to help you." Her voice was filled with uncertainty. "And the you outside. And I think the answer is in there." She pointed at the stone, and almost instantly it began to shake like tremors were rushing through it. She stepped back, and watched in stunned silence as the entire world began to shift, low rumbling echoing throughout it. The storms clouds began to move, rumbling with thunder

"It's opening." Galatea turned to face the young child who had spoken. He sat down, his knees to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs. He looked afraid – terrified – and as the rumbling continued he ducked his head down, as if trying to escape a disaster he knew was coming.

She walked up to him, and on instinct touched his shoulder, trying to comfort him even though she felt herself just as filled with fear.

"It's going to be okay – I promise you. But you need to tell me – what's going to happen when it opens?" She waited, but the boy didn't lift his head up. She could feel his whole body trembling, as well as the fear that gripped his heart. "Please," she said, "If you don't tell me what's going on then I can't help either of you."

The boy stayed still, but she heard him take a deep breath.

"A long time ago," he said, "Something bad happened outside. And then something bad happened inside of here." His voice shook, but he continued. "This place used to be happy – filled with light – with excitement. About what would happen – what we could be one day. But then everything changed when the bad people came."

"Wh – who are these bad people?" she asked – fearing the answer.

"They're the bad people who took away mom, dad, and sister," the boy pointed to the monolith, it's tremors stronger than ever. "Those memories are in there. We made that stone so that we would never be hurt again. But now it's being opened bit by bit, when we don't want it to. And if it ever opens up in the wrong way – everything will go pitch dark like it almost did before." He finally looked up her, as small tears ran down his face. "Please – if you can – if you want" he said, "Please help us. We're tired of being alone – so tired. We want to have fun again. Please Ms. Galatea?"

She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. She wanted to cry for him – to shed tears over what she had just heard and what it meant – but now was not the time. She knew what to do. "I'll help you." She had never been more sure of anything in her life. "I'll help you and I promise, I will never let anyone hurt you the two of you again." She turned and faced the monolith, beginning to walk towards it.

"Wait! You can't go alone!" The boy ran up and grabbed her hand.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes." He tightened his grip and gave her a brave smile. "Maybe it's because you promised to help, but I feel safe when I'm around you. That hasn't happened in a long time. And this is something I have to do too."

She smiled in return, and holding him tight, reached out and placed her hand on the monolith. As it's crimson light flowed outwards, wrapping itself around them, only one thought crossed her mind.

_I promise – I'll protect Phillip – no matter what I have to do._


	10. Chapter 10

**I Will Protect You (Cross my Heart) Chapter 10**

**Hello readers! New chapter ready to go! Please enjoy and comment to let me know what you think! Any ideas for plot points are more than welcomed!**

**All intellectual property goes to their respective owners. I do not own any of the trademarked ideas used here. This is only a fanfiction story written solely for personal benefit and no profit.**

-Athena-

Athena's breath was shallow and her lungs felt like they were on fire. Her legs and arms were covered in bruises and scrapes from having dodged attacks and, on occasion, having to take them head on. It was getting harder for her to keep up with the fucking Gengar and she couldn't hide that fact. In contrast, the smirk on its face had never left - it was having the time of its life holding such an obvious advantage over her. In addition to a tremendous power in Special-based attacks, Gengars had a higher than normal level of speed which they could make full use of. It made the job of defending herself _and _protecting the two behind her nearly impossible - never mind doing any real damage to the monster.

Athena spat out a wad blood from her mouth. _This is bullshit, _she though, _I need a better plan than just getting the crap kicked out of me like some fucking doll._ But what else was there she could do? She was getting desperate - this fight had been going on for probably less than 10 minutes, but to her it felt like an eternity. Every moment was a chance for the Gengar to kill her - and then it would be free to do whatever it wanted to the other two. Athena clenched her jaws in frustration - she never liked that feeling of anxiety and fear. It always led to making stupid mistakes.

The Gengar dashed towards her, charging a Shadow Ball. Athena stood her ground, determined not to allow the attack to break apart the stone shelter around her comrades. It came right up to her and took a swipe with it's free left claw. Athena dodged just in time, and followed up with a Dragon Claw. The Gengar met her attack with it's own, and the colliding energies exploded, throwing everything into pitch blackness. Athena was barely able to keep herself from flying backwards as she dug her claws into the earth. She took a defensive stance, waiting for any sign of a counter-attack through the dust. A bright light erupted in front of her, cutting through the cloud like a knife. Athena knew instinctively what attack this was, and slammed the ground in front of her with all her might, erecting a barrier in front of her. A split second later the attack struck, disintegrating her shield, this time the force blasting her back until she slammed into the shelter she was protecting. New pain shot through her like electric jolts.

Athena took a moment to clear her head, utter a profanity, and then stood up, ignoring her body's painful protests. A rush of wind and her sense of smell told her the creature was coming at her again - but this dust cloud could be used to her advantage. She made another barrier, this one a little wider to block it's vision of her entirely should it be able to see. Athena used Dig, burring into the ground and stopping underneath the stone wall. She heard the Gengar crash blindly into it. She dug upwards as fast as possible, and lunged out of the ground as she broke the surface with all the strength she could muster. Her eyes adjusting, she found herself underneath the left side of the ghost Pokemon. It had enough time to turn and look at her with a scowl on its face before she bit down on it's exposed left leg. It's body felt unnaturally soft, like biting into an overripe fruit that was on the verge of falling apart. With all her might, Athena pulled herself up the rest of the way and forced the Gengar to the ground, and swiped at it with her Dragon Claw. She felt her attack make contact. She swiped at it again and again - this could be her only chance. One last attack sent the Gengar flying through the air before slamming into a nearby tree.

It fell back to earth, and was still, it's eyes closed and it's purple body covered in dirt. Perhaps she had knocked it out? Her heart raced inside her chest - her natural instinct was to run and escape, but she silenced that rational voice in her mind. She had to stand and fight - it was the only sliver of a chance they had to make it out of this clusterfuck alive.

The Gengar's eyes opened along with its enormous jaw, charging up the attack from before. Athena only had time to dodge to her left as the beam blasted through the clearing, barely missing the shelter. It decimated a few trees along it's path as it disappeared into the darkness. She kicked the ground as hard as she could and leap back to her spot in front of where Galatea and Phillip were.

She only glared as the Gengar got back up, brushing dust off of its body with such indifference that it might as well had just gone on a fucking stroll. It pissed her off she should be taken so lightly by an enemy, but that was a minor problem. The real issue was the attack that it had just used - twice. It confirmed something Athena had been thinking ever since this whole nightmare started. She met the creatures malicious gaze with her own.

"How the fuck do you know that attack?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"My dear, you'll have to be more specific about that." The Gengar's sarcastic tone only made Athena want to rip it to shreds even more. "I'm afraid I've been attacking you with a few things tonight..."

"Don't fuck with me!" Athena had had it with its bullshit. "Gengars don't learn that fucking Fairy attack naturally - someone taught it you! So who? Who the fuck taught you!?" She inched closer. "Who the fuck is behind all of this? You expect me to believe that you happened to find us, knocked out the old man before this whole thing even started without going to town on him, and know that attack all on your own? A dumbass like you?" She took her stance, ready to defend. "There's someone pulling your strings! And they want something else besides to kill us, otherwise we would all be dead! So what the fuck is it!? What are you all after!?"

The Gengar gave her a mild look, like one you gave to an idiot who suddenly came up with something smart, but irrelevant.

"Well, maybe you'll find out if you survive - but don't count on it." The Gengar rushed at her again, and Athena met it head on with only one though in her mind. _Hurry up shrimp!_

_-Galatea_

It took a moment for her to figure out what she was seeing. One moment, she was standing next to that black and red stone, and now she was standing outside in an open field, the glare of the sun in her eyes. She looked next to her and was relieved to see Phillip's young self still with her. Their eyes met and they shared a moment of uncertainty, before she nodded encouragingly - it put the boy at ease.

They were in a lush green field at the top of a hill overlooking a meadow. Off in the distance Galatea could see a human town nearby. The air was fresh and cool, meaning this must be Spring. Small bird Pokemon flew around, singing as they did so. The clouds moved lazily through the sky, casting shadows on the fields of grass. Among the sounds, the noise of laughing children came to them from just beyond. She turned and saw two of them come up crest of the hill they stood on. They were chasing each other, a boy and a younger girl, and the boy looked like...

"You," she said in a stifled gasp, "That looks like you!"

"It is me," said the boy in a heavyhearted voice, "This was one of those nice days when we were younger."

Galatea watched as the girl came closer. She was nothing if beautiful - she had light brown hair and the most gorgeous gray eyes like they were made of silver. She wore a light dress on her lightly tanned body. She swore she had seen her before... That's when it hit her.

"Is - is that your..?"

"My sister," came the small boy's reply. "Her name was Liliana. She was a few years younger than me and a little winy, but she was the best sister ever."

Two more humans came into view - a man and a woman. They were talking and laughing as they followed the siblings. The man carried a wicker basket while the woman carried a small blanket. The man was tall and a tanner tone of skin - his arms were wide like small tree trunks. The woman had light colored hair similar to Liliana's, and she had an air of grace to her that reminded Galatea of her sisters.

"That's our mom and dad," said the child. "They always liked to take us outside to this hill. We would spend all day here and play."

Galatea looked at him to see tears rolling from his eyes. He didn't utter a sound however - he wept silently as he squeezed his hand around hers. She wanted to comfort him but he continued without hesitating, his eyes never leaving the scene before them.

"My dad was a police officer - a person who stops bad people when they do bad things to others in case you don't know," he added. "He sometimes stopped people who stole things, hurt other people, and a couple of time, people who hurt Pokemon." He looked over at her, tears continuing to pour down hi face. "He always said that we have to stand up to bad people. That letting something bad happen is just as bad as doing it. He told us to be good to people and Pokemon, and never to take the one's we care about for granted."

"And... your mom?" Galatea almost stopped herself, afraid she was pushing him to hard.

"She was a nurse at a hospital," he said with a sad smile.

"Like... at one of those buildings where they heal Pokemon?"

"Not really. She worked a lot more with people. She was studying to become a doctor - a person in charge of nurses and telling people how to get better. She had the same ideas as my dad - she wanted to help people in need," he turned to look over at his family and was silent for a moment. "I know I'm their son and all, but in my heart, I truly believe they were some of kindest and nicest people ever."

Before she had a chance to ask more, the scene before them dissolved in a swirl of colors that blended and became black as night. She felt they were on the move again and she held onto Phillip's hand as tightly as possible, hoping he would do the same. Then, just as quickly as it started, their journey came to and end.

She looked around and saw that now they were in a building in the corner of the room. The walls were white and had windows in some places. In the wall farthest from them was a fireplace, where pictures of Phillip's family were hung up. There were chairs, large and small with cushions around the floor. She could hear voices - angry voices - coming from somewhere. Phillip got up and tugged at her arm.

"Come this way," he whispered

They walked slowly to another room - as they got closer, Galatea could make out what the voices were saying.

"Jacob - it's too dangerous!"

"But Rin - this is our chance to catch them in the act! We've been after this gang for months now and -"

"What about me!? What about the children!? Have you stopped to think about that!?"

"You know I always think about all of you - especially Phillip and Lily! It's why I joined the academy in the first place!"

The pair rounded a corner, and found themselves in an entry way to another room in the dwelling. The walls were lines with furniture holding books and sitting at a table were Phillip's parents, apparently fighting over something.

"Then don't do this!" Phillip's mother looked worried - and afraid, Her eyes were red like they had been crying.

"I have to! Please you have to understand!" Their father looked tired and exasperated - but beneath that he also looked scared.

"But why you!? Why do you have to be undercover!? Why can't it be anyone else!?" Phillip's mother fell back to her chair, running her hand through her hair and looking defeated.

Her husband walked around and stood behind her - he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek.

"It'll only be for a week or two - then they'll take them down and everything will be back to normal. I promise."

Phillip's mom put her hand on top of his and squeezed "Just promise me you'll be okay."

A small sound from behind her caused Galatea to look away from the scene. She saw down a hallway two small shapes standing there - it was Phillip and his sister in their sleeping outfits.

"I remember this night," said the boy next to her, "I remember not understanding what they were saying - but feeling scared. Like I knew this was something bad." He gripped her hand tightly and looked up at her and in a small whimper, he said "I'm scared Miss Galatea."

"It's going to be okay... I promise" she reached down and hugged him.

"No... I'm scared because I know it's not going to be..." He pushed her away, "Because I know what happens next and..." He looked up at her with solemn eyes "because I don't want you to see it"

The world around them fell apart again - but this time it was in a torrent that swept everything, including Phillip, away. She reached out and tried to grab him but it was too late. Strong winds whipped around her like they were in the center of a storm, and dark shapes flew by them, brushing again Galatea's arms and legs. She also knew what was next- or she thought she knew - and part of her was terrified.

Then the storm died down, and only darkness remained.

"Where are we?" she asked. She turned and saw Phillip was gone. She began to panic - worried that something had gone wrong. She stood up and walked around the darkness, and then felt something hard like a wall. She pushed against it and it gave way. The door opened up to a larger room - filled with toys and two beds. She walked into the center and saw moonlight coming through the window.

Then a loud crash sounded through the house. She jumped at the noise, and suddenly voices started yelling. Loud footsteps sounded and the door to the room opened. Rin, Phillip's mother, came rushing in, with both siblings being pulled behind her.

She got down on one knee and looked at them. "Stay here under the beds, okay? Phillip - take care of your sister." Her voice was rushed, and try as he might - Galatea could tell she was afraid. "You be brave now. Can you do that - can you do that for mommy?" He nodded, but both of the children looked terrified. Rin gave them a hug and a kiss each before pushing them under the bed. Then she turned around, closed the door behind her, and was gone.

The noises got louder - Galatea could hear things shattering and male voices screaming. Then she heard the loud screams of a woman, and a loud bang rang out - followed by eerie silence. Her heart was racing and she felt utter terror as loud footsteps came closer to the room. On instinct, she dove under one the bed opposite from where Phillip and his sister were hiding. The pair looked terrified beyond description. They were holding hands to tightly she could see their knuckles turning white. Their bodies were shaking, and Galatea was no different.

The footsteps got closer, before stopping in front of the bedroom door. A large crash and the door swung open. Three figures, wearing black clothing and black covers on their faces, walked into the room. They walked into the room, took one look around, and then started throwing the sheets off the beds and opening the closet door.

"There's no one else here boss! Let's go before the pigs show up!" said one of them.

The largest of the three paused, before walking up to his companion who had spoken. "What - you scared now? Is that it?" Before his partner had a chance to reply, he grabbed him by his neck and pinned him against the wall. The man choked and gagged, struggling to get free while the third man continued his search, ignoring the pair. "Our shotcaller said to kill _everyone_! Do you know what that means _Lenard_!? It means _no survivors_! Now we already killed the cop and his slut - but we still need to finish the job. This is about sending a _message_! And we can only do that when we do the _entire_ family! Do you have a problem with _that_?" The man, Leonard, managed a weak grunt, before he was released. He fell to the ground, grasping at his neck and gasping for air.

The leader of the group paid him no attention, but went right back to searching. The third one muttered something to the leader and left the room, going further down the hall. Leonard coughed, causing his leader to turn back to face him.

"Will you get the fuck up already you pussy!?"

Leonard said nothing, but instead pointed down. Galatea felt a surge of terror as she realized he had been staring at the children since he was dropped.

"They're under the... fucking bed Dominique..." he said is a weak groan.

In a blur, the brute, Dominique, reached down and grabbed both siblings, one in each hand. They cried and struggled as they were pulled from their hiding spot, shrieking and crying.

"Let her go! Let my sister go!" Phillip was kicking and screaming with all his might trying to free himself. Galatea was frozen - her mind unable to cope with what she was seeing.

"Shut the fuck _up_!" Dominique curled his hand into a fist and punched Phillip in the face. Phillip's hand let go of his sister's as he was sent flying into the wall. Pictures fell and followed the boy to the carpet, the glass shattering around him.

"Phil! Don't hurt him!" Lily reached up and scratched and bit at the monster's hand, trying to free herself.

"Take her!" He threw her to Leonard, who grabbed her from around her waist and pulled her to him.

Galatea, seeing enough, ran out, running in between Phillip and his attacker. The man was large, about the size of Erwin but with a much more malignant aura. She threw her arms in front of her and tried to use her Psyshock. She was afraid - but she also felt anger. Boiling anger at this human - this beast. But to her utter horror, nothing happened. Looking up, she met the man's eyes. They were blue and icy cold - reminding her of Gino's. He stood there for what seemed an eternity, before reaching down at her. She flinched waiting to be struck like her friend, but no blow ever came. Instead, his hand passed _through _her, and grabbing Phillip, pulled him back before pinning him against a wall by the neck. He gasped as he struggled to draw breath.

_Of course - these are his memories._ All of this had happened long ago - and nothing she did here could change the outcome. She fell to her knees as tears rolled down her face - she was powerless to stop this. All she could do... was watch.

"You little prick - who the _hell_ do you think you are!?" he growled.

"Let her... go... my sister... let... her..." Phillip reached up and grabbed at the thugs clenched hand.

"Oh? Or else what you littl- AARRGGHH!" Suddenly the man let Phillip go, backing away and grabbing his face. In Phillip's hand was what looked like a piece of broken glass, covered in fresh blood.

Phillip moved to attack Leonard holding his sister, but then the third intruder came running back in. Wasting no time, he ran up and grabbed Phillip's hand holding the broken glass, twisting it and causing him to let go of the weapon, holding Phillip's arm behind him.

Dominique groaned in pain as he held the wound on his face- but then he started chuckling. The chuckling became louder and louder - until it was full blown laughter. He dropped his hands from his face and turned to face Phillip. The entire right side of his face was covered in his blood from the wound that stretched from the bottom of his eye down to the corner of his mouth

"Would you look at that!" he roared walking over to the boy. "This kid's got more balls than I thought! They're even bigger than yours Leonard!" He grabbed Phillip's hair, pulling his face up to meet his. "Isn't that right? You think you're a _badass_ kid? Huh? We'll let see then." He looked up at the man holding him Phillip. "Let him go."

Phillip was thrown onto the ground. Dominique walked over to where the bloodied shard had fallen, and kicked it over to Phillip.

"Alright kid, we're gonna play a game. Kid's like games right?" He walked over to where Lily was being held. "You have one minute - and only one minute. If you manage to cut me again - then we'll let her go. But if you don't - " He reached behind him and pulled out something - Galatea knew it was a gun like the one Phillip used. It clicked and then he pointed it to Lily's head. "We'll your dad was a cop - so I'm sure you know what this does right?" Dominique grinned maliciously. He was evil incarnate.

Phillip grabbed his weapon and charged - screaming as he did. He swung with all his might again and again - but it was pointless. Galatea watched from where she was as the brute toyed with him. He would let him get close only to evade, laughing as he did so. Phillip began to panic, his strikes becoming more and more wild.

"Come on! You have to try harder!" Phillip swung and missed again. "I don't think he wants to save you little girl! I think your brother wants you dead!"

"THAT'S NOT TRUEEE!" Phillip screamed. "Let her go! Let her go! LET HER GOOOOO!"

Dominique grabbed Phillip's hand, stopping it and looking him in the eye. "Time's up." He swung his leg out and kicked Phillip's out from under him. He grabbed him by the head and slammed him into the ground. Once again, the third man went over and pinned Phillip to the ground.

"Lift his head up!" The man did as ordered and grabbed the boy's hair, pulling his face up.

"Phillip! Brother!" Lily screamed as Dominique grabbed her arm, dragging her away from Leonard.

"No! Don't do it! Please! Don't hurt her!" Phillip screamed with all his might as tears ran down his face.

Galatea, beyond reason now, ran up and tried to beat away the monster holding Lily with her bare hands. But the only thing they did was pass through him harmlessly.

"LET HER GO!" she screamed. "DON'T HURT THEM! THEY'RE ONLY CHILDREN! THEY HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING YOU MONSTER!"

"Now you remember this kid," said Dominique pointing the gun at Lily's chest, her eyes wide in fear, "Remember that you let her die - because you were so _fucking_ weak!"

There was a flash, followed by a loud bang.

"NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Both her and Phillip screamed.

The girl went rigid, her eyes widening in shock from the impact. Then, her body went limp as she fell to the carpet, her face landing to rest facing her brother. Galatea could see Phillip reflected her gray eyes as a trail of blood came from her mouth and nose. She tried to speak, but only garbled noises and blood came out. Blood flowed freely from the wound in her chest, coming in spurts and coloring the carpet a dark scarlet. A small froth of bubbles grew over the gaping wound in her chest. Eventually, the flow slowed to a trickle and then stopped completely. The light in her eyes faded, and she was gone.

To Galatea - time seemed to completely stopped in that moment. She felt numb - she couldn't feel anything - her mind unable, or unwilling, to accept the reality she was seeing. Phillip's sister lay on the ground, her life having flowed away into nothing. The monsters who had played a part in her death only stood over her, without remorse or regret. She turned and saw Phillip - his wide horror-stricken eyes were filled with tears. Dominique walked over to him and picked him up off the ground, holding him by the scruff of his shirt.

"Don't worry kid - I'm in a generous mood so I'm going to let you live. I'll even give you some advice," Phillip said nothing. His eyes had gone blank. The monster curled his hand into a fist. "If you can't protect the shit you want - don't bitch when someone comes along and takes it from you."

He drove his fist into Phillips face - and the entire world went dark.

The darkness lasted all but for a second however. Galatea then found herself in that tunnel again - rushing past images. Her mind wanted to stop - to escape this nightmare. She had never know such evil - such darkness. How could humans do such a thing? How could such cruelty exist? At the same time she was asking herself these questions, her mind was bombarded with memories - his memories.

She saw Phillip sitting in a chair - people in blue clothing walked past him. A door was open and she could hear voices coming from within.

"But we can't just put him in the system."

"Oh, so you want to take that kid in? Be my guest."

"Well - I - I never - it's just that it's Jacob's kid man..."

"Look, after what that kid saw - you _know_ he's fucked in the head. It's the only choice we have. Or do you have another suggestion?" After a moment of silence, the voice continued. "He's damaged goods. Mark my words."

_No - please - no more! _She didn't want to see anymore. She couldn't bear it - she couldn't bear to see what her friend had had to go through alone.

Another image came to her. It was raining, and people dressed in black were standing in a field. Stones were placed in neat rows all around them. Phillip was there, watching three boxes being lowered into three freshly dug holes. A man wearing white was reading something, but she couldn't make out what. She saw Phillip turn to look at a few boys standing opposite from him - she assumed his friends. The boys looked at him, shared a moment of fear, and stepped back. Phillip stared at them, pain filling his eyes, before he looked back down and watched as the boxes were placed to rest at the bottom, raindrops streaming down his face.

_How - how could you!? He was your friend! He needed you! HOW DARE YOU!  
_

She was in a playground behind a large building, kid's running around and enjoying a summer day. She looked around and saw Phillip sitting alone under a nearby tree, watching everyone go by. A gang of boys came up in front of him. One of them said something and kicked dirt onto him. He pulled his hand back and made a fist, ready to strike Phillip. But Phillip grabbed his arm as he threw the punch. He pulled and he ducked under it, twisting it until it was bent at an awkward angle. She heard a wet crack and the boy hollered out in pain - the others only watched with mouths open in horror. Adults, hearing the noise, ran over and separated the pair, dragging Phillip away into the building.

The memories suddenly fell away - Galatea found herself surrounded by darkness. Her mind was blank as it struggled with what she had seen, but the harder she tried to understand, the more difficult it became for her to accept the reality of Phillip's past. Searing pain - so intense she nearly screamed - shot through her heart. Her vision because cloudy as she felt herself slipping away, but then a light drew her attention. It was a soft blue light, piercing the darkness. She inched closer, fighting with all her might not to give in to the pain. As she drew near, she gasped.

It was Phillip - just as she had left him outside. He looked like he was asleep, surrounded by a cold aura. She reached out, and laid a hand on it - and suddenly she understood.

"This pain..." she said in a tearful voice. "This is the pain that you felt ever since then. It was locked away in your heart...You carried it this whole time.. Since you were a child..."

This man - this boy - had suffered through more pain than most could even comprehend. A pain so deep and profound that it had nearly broken her to watch it unfold. He was alone ever since that night his family was taken from him in an act of utter cruelty. He was a victim - and yet he was shunned. He was treated like a monster - when the only thing monstrous was the act that had been committed upon him and his loved ones. But isn't that why everyone turned away from him and treated him so? They didn't want to face the monsters in his past - they didn't want to acknowledge the evil that humans are capable of. To them, that violated their perfect and happy lives. They didn't want to feel _responsible _for helping him. So they ran away, leaving a small boy to a fate crueler than even death...

And yet... he had persisted. He had done the best he could to live on. But that had meant leaving everything behind - his happiness, his hope for the future - his ability to love. He had cast them away - the emotions that had threatened to consume him because of the sudden, violent departure of the people he cherished. He had accepted that he would be alone and would never experience the feelings that make life worth living. He had been reduced to thinking of himself as a thing - _damaged goods. _

She looked around her at the encroaching darkness - kept only at bay from the soft blue light coming from the body of her friend. That small sliver of light was all that was left of who he once was. And soon, if nothing changed, that light would be snuffed out forever.

"No - I will not allow this," she felt a surge of power as she spoke - the pain retreating in its wake. "I will not allow this to continue. You won't carry this pain alone any longer!" So many emotions ran through her - but most of all was a sense of anger based in a deep desire to protect him. _How dare all of you treat him like this! __You cowards- who wouldn't even lift a finger to help him! _A bright, white light erupted from her body and the darkness melted away. Suddenly they were back outside the black stone - it's fissures had grown larger. The clouds around them swirled, threatening to cover the world. "From this day forward!" she yelled out to the heavens, "He will never be alone again! I will defy everything - even fate itself - in order to protect him! Because... HE'S MY FAMILY!"

An enormous swirl of white energy erupted from her - sweeping away the clouds in an instant - leaving a beautiful blue sky. Behind them, the black monolith, the center of this darkness, faded to gray before falling apart and becoming rubble. The aura surrounding Phillip faded - and she was finally able to hold him. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close, placing his head on her shoulder, never wanting to let go. She would protect him - she would never abandon him. Where humanity had failed him - she would do her utmost for him in its place.

"My time's almost up..." she said. She could feel her presence slipping away - returning to her own body. She had done what she had set out to do - but this was only the beginning. The energy that had built up inside of her grew even stronger - she knew what was about to happen. She bent down and kissed his forehead - the first and only time she would kiss him as a Kirlia. "But I swear to you - I'll be there when you wake up." She hesitated for a moment. "Phillip... I..."

The light bloomed again, and before she could finish, they were gone.

_Athena _

The shelter exploded as a white light erupted from within it. For one wild moment - Athena thought that someone else was attacking it.

She and her opponent stopped in the middle of their fight and turned to look. They couldn't help but watch in stunned silence as the light bloomed, turning night into daytime before it faded. The clouds parted, illuminating the scene as something came into view. Two figures were among the rubble.

Phillip was laying on the ground. He was no longer screaming, looking almost peaceful. His chest rose slowly - a sign that he was still alive.

But the one holding him was not Galatea. The new being was taller, with long green hair that fell to her waistline. Her skin was a beautiful pale white - pure and ever glowing in the moonlight. She had green sleeves that covered her long slender arms. An elegant green top connected them and further down past her chest was a flowing white gown. A large red horn extended over her chest, it's color matching her beautiful eyes. A single tear fell from them and landed on the young man's cheek. Slowly, she bent down and whispered something in his ear, before she laid his head gently on the ground.

"How dare you!" shouted the Gengar in anger for the first time. "How dare you break my hold over him!"

She stood - no - floated up off the ground. She locked eyes with Athena, and then she felt it. This _was _Galatea - but at the same time it wasn't. Not a trace of fear, uncertainty, or anxiety remained in this new creature. Only absolute, and total resolve. The kind that comes only when someone knows the outcome of a fight before it even begins. Galatea nodded at her, and then turned to face the Gengar. Athena would never forget the first time she heard her new voice - commanding and filled with absolute grace.

"My family stays here with me," she said to the Ghost Pokemon in a voice that echoed through the night. She extended her right arm to her side, as if beckoning something unseen. In an instant, dozens of violet shards formed above her. Athena couldn't believe it - they were like countless stars, called to earth by a god. Galatea's eyes stared straight ahead of her, fixed on her opponent. "This ends _now_."

**Hope you guys enjoyed! Stay tuned because this part of the story is almost done. Afterwards - expect a couple of time jumps and some new characters! Until next time! **


	11. Chapter 11

**I Will Protect You (Cross my Heart) Chapter 11**

**Hi again! This is the final chapter for the first part of this series! I want to thank all of you readers! You guys are awesome! Enjoy and watch out for an epilogue coming really soon! **

**Remember to comment with any suggestions or feedback! I really appreciate it!**

**Disclaimer: Any and all intellectual property belongs to their appropriate owners. This is a fanfiction story written for personal benefit and no profit whatsoever. **

_-Galatea-_

She stared directly at the Ghost Pokemon. It's eyes were filled with anger and indignation over her interference. It had regarded Phillip as nothing more than a succulent meal - a meal now ruined by her. She would see it pay for what it had done to both him and her adopted sister.

The Gengar inched closer to her but was hesitant to make any sudden moves. It's eyes kept darting from her to the array of Psychic projectiles hovering over her - unsure of when or from where her attack would come. It wouldn't have to wait long.

Galatea, with a wave of her right hand, sent a third of the projectiles speeding at her opponent. The move surprised it, causing it to leap back to avoid the barrage - but Galatea wouldn't let it off so easily - she knew it's movements before it could make them. She redirected the array just before it hit the ground, having it change course at a sharp angle. The Gengar's face registered a mixture of horror and shock before it disappeared behind her Psyshock. A cry of unmistakable pain erupted from its grotesque mouth as it was sent flying into the darkness. Galatea sent the rest of her barrage in a wide arc to cover as much area as possible. The projectiles disappeared into the dark area where the Gengar had landed and the sound of branches breaking and ground being turned over from impacts reverberated through the air.

Taking this chance, Galatea teleported to her sister, appearing behind her. Without pausing, she grabbed her and teleported back to where Phillip was laying on the ground. Athena pushed her away out of reflex, before realizing what had happened.

"Ho - how the hell did you do that so fast?!" she asked with her mouth hanging open. Galatea only smiled - hearing her rough voice brought her a sense of comfort that not everything had changed.

"You're welcome," she said. "Please keep an eye on him until I'm done. This won't take much longer."

Athena said nothing - she only nodded with her mouth still open. If she was being honest, Galatea was unsure about herself right now. She felt no fear, no apprehension, no anxiety - only purpose and confidence that she would protect the two of them. Her body didn't shake like it used to when faced with battle. Rather it felt - _eager - _eager to finish this fight that it knew she could win.

Galatea opened her mind and took in her surroundings looking for the creature. It was definitely still here - lurking in the shadows and waiting to strike. She also felt it's fresh pain - something which brought her a guilty sense of satisfaction. She zeroed in on it's location until she had a good idea of where it was.

She teleported - the scene before her flashing away and being replaced with the back of the Gengar's body as it was watching the spot where she had been a second ago. It turned around - it's mouth open in surprise and it's eyes tense with panic. Galatea felt a fresh rush of anger towards the creature that had hurt her friend - just like those humans had.

"Good evening," she said as she felt her mouth spread into a malicious grin, "shall we?"

She didn't wait for a response. She blew the creature away with another Psyshock. It cried out in pain and fear as it fell back into the open clearing. It tried to get up and run - but Galatea would have none of that. She teleported in front of it - blocking it's escape.

"What the matter?" she asked angrily. "I thought you were enjoying our game." She walked towards it, forcing the ghost type to back away and stumble.

"Yo - you dare look down on me you insignificant fairy?!" it roared. It opened it arms, it face contorted in furious rage. A sphere of pure poison, colored a dark violet, formed in front of it. Drops from it fell off, sizzling as they hit the ground.

"Let's see you handle this with poise you worthless scum!" It laughed maniacally as it leapt back and threw the bomb at her.

It was true her kind were susceptible to poison based attacks - but there were ways to negate them.

She reached inside her - and found a new technique she had learned upon her evolution. She didn't even have to wonder how to use it - it was already a part of her like breathing or walking. She placed her hands in front of her - her palms facing outwards. In an instant - a translucent barrier formed between her and the attack. It was like a pane of glass suspended in mid air reflecting the moonlight coming from above. The attack struck and splattered harmlessly on it. The venom sizzled as it tried to burn away the shield but only evaporated harmlessly.

The Gengar screamed in frustration and tried to form another attack. Galatea would not give it another chance - she would end this now.

Before her shield dissipated from view, she teleported herself right up the spirit. She stared right into its eyes - those red eyes that would have terrified her mere moments ago - all they did now was swell the boiling anger building inside of her. They did nothing to shake her confidence. It was all so simple - she would protect her family no matter who threatened them.

She placed her hand on its chest - it didn't even try to move away - it was frozen in fear.

"N- no - please," it begged, "I surrender!"

"You're a ghost, right?" she asked in an icy tone. "_Then fly_."

She concentrated all of her attack in that single spot, putting as much power behind it as possible. A bright violet flash erupted from where her hand was placed, followed by a tremendous explosion. The Gengar screamed as its body felt the enormous force of a hundred shards condensed into one - hitting it all at once. It flew into the darkness, the sounds of branches snapping in it's wake. The sound grew less and less until the forest fell eerily quiet. Galatea waited for a moment, sensing the area should it try to return and continue their fight.

But it never came back - only silence filled the air as she waited. She hoped that she hadn't done the worse and taken its life, but while the thought bothered her, a small piece of her felt that would be acceptable. She looked down at her right hand which she had used for her attack. The force of the concentrated blast had injured it a little - there was a small bruise and a couple of bleeding cuts on her palm. She clenched her hand tightly and a few drops of blood fell to the ground - a small price to pay for her victory.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a noise from behind her. She turned - expecting to see a new enemy - but met a pair of brown eyes. It was Phillip - he was sitting up and staring at her, his eyes wide open. He moved his mouth as if trying to speak, but only one word came out of his mouth.

"Gala...tea?"

_-Phillip-_

It was her - it had to be. The same white skin, green hair, and he could never mistake those red eyes of hers. But she wasn't a Kirlia anymore - she had evolved to her final form - a Gardevoir. Phillip had read about them once during their journey out of curiosity. He knew a Kirlia would only evolve once it had chosen to remain with someone for rest of its life - a bond he had assumed would never happen with the likes of him.

But here she was fully evolved and if he was being honest with himself - she was the most beautiful being he had ever seen. She looked different from pictures of a normal Gardevoir he had seen. Her hair was way longer - down to her hips. She was taller than he thought they would be and also her chest was larger and more curvy... He shook his head - clearing his mind before his thoughts got any more convoluted.

Suddenly he felt something slam into him as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders. He fell on his back and opened his eyes in shock - and saw Galatea hugging him, her head buried in his chest. She was crying, almost uncontrollably, as she held him tightly.

"You're okay!" she cried, "Thank goodness your okay!" She looked up at him with a tear streaked face. "I was so worried!"

He wanted to comfort her - but all he could do was stare. He couldn't get his thoughts together - they were all a mess. A small movement to his right caught his eye, and then he saw Athena, bruised and battered all over.

"Wha- what the hell happened to you!?" he gasped.

The dragon gave him a toothy, lopsided grin. "I fell down some stairs," she said in a playful tone.

Phillip's mind was a blank. He couldn't remember what had happened to him or how he had ended up here. He looked back down at Galatea and met her scarlet eyes.

As soon as he did, everything came back in a flash. It was like watching a movie playing out in front of him. He had woken up from a dream and had found himself alone in the middle of the forest. He had heard his sister's voice calling out to him... No, he had _seen_ her. He had looked right at her, but then something had gone wrong. Her eyes - they had changed - they were a dark red.

His heart raced and his breathing got faster and faster. Something had gone wrong - whatever had been masking itself as his sister had knocked him out. He had seen... visions. A cold fear ran through him like he had fallen into ice water. That night - it had played out in front of him - over and over like a never ending hell. He had watched his sister getting murdered right in front of him. He had been powerless to save her - he had failed her.

He pushed Galatea away and scrambled backwards until his back hit a nearby tree. His lungs burned - like they couldn't get enough air. Galatea got up and tried to get close to him. She was saying something - so was Athena and she too tried to come to him.

"No!" he yelled out. "No get away from me! I don- I don't- I can't-!"

He was besides himself - he didn't know what to do or say. All he could see were the visions of his past, feel the pain he had carried, the pain he had tried to lock away. His mind raced - desperately trying to control itself but to no avail. Then, amidst the suffering, a thought entered his mind. _How was he here then? Why had it ended? '_

A bright light... something had pulled him back from the abyss. No... not something... someone. A voice - a voice had called out to him. He didn't remember what it had said - only who it sounded like.

He looked back at Galatea. The sight of her calmed him almost immediately. Whether it was her presence, or her reaching out to him, his mind settled into a cathartic calm. The Pokemon's eyes were filled with worry. "You..." he said. "It was you... But how..? And why..?"

"It was the only way," she said in a sorrowful voice. "You were dying... and this was the only thing I could do to stop it... You have to believe me I never wanted any of this..."

"In other words," growled Athena, "You were attacked - by a Gengar no less. It used Dream Eater on you after knocking you out. It was consuming your life energy as a meal and if she hadn't stepped in the way she did - you'd be a corpse right now."

"And your injuries..." he said as he turned to face her. "You held it back while she did that. Didn't you?"

"Like she said, it was the only way to save your skin."

Phillip looked back at Galatea. She was fidgeting nervously - unsure of what to do next.

"Then..." he asked, "Does that mean you know? What happened to me... and my family?"

Galatea hesitated as she considered his question - and then nodded. She looked afraid - maybe she thought he would be angry with her?

"Then if that's the case..." he said "It's only fair you tell Athena - or show her. Whatever you need to do..."

The Pokemon's eye's went wide in shock as the words left his mouth.

"Yo - you don't need to-" stuttered the dragon.

"No," he said holding up his hand to silence her. "You have to know to - you have a right to know. Both of you risked your lives. It's only fair you know what she does." What did it matter after all? The cat was out of the bag so to speak.

Galatea turned to the dragon - Athena nodded and approached her. Galatea placed her right hand on the dragon's head and closed her eyes. It all happened instantly - the dragon's body went rigid and her eyes opened abruptly, her pupils constricting until they were barely visible. She gasped as she staggered back - almost jumping away from the Gardevoir. Her breath was ragged, and her whole body shook. She looked over at him - even though she had little facial features, Phillip could see the mix of emotions on her face.

"Phillip..." she stammered as she stared at him with horror filled eye, "I... I didn't..."

He'd seen that look before - that look of terror at being faced with the incomprehensible. It had been on the faces of his "friends" and their families - people whom his own family had know for years. They gave their condolences, acting as they should amid such a tragedy. But then, inevitably, they all left. It didn't even take them that long - his "friends" had never spoken to him again since the funeral nor did anyone try to reach out to him. Everyone - without exception - left him.

"Now you two know then..." he said as he struggled back to his feet, "why I didn't want either of you to follow me in the first place."

"But Phillip," interjected the Gardevoir, "We chose this! We chose you because we're a family and-"

"WILL YOU SHUT UP ALREADY!" he yelled out as anger took over him. The two Pokemon froze in place. "Family!? What family!? I don't have one anymore! I lost them years ago! I lost my parents, my sister, everything that mattered to me! I DON'T HAVE A FAMILY! I FAILED THEM!"

"None of this is your fucking fault!" Phillip turned and saw Athena, her eyes ablaze. "Stop acting like you did something wrong!"

"SHE WAS SISTER!" he shouted back. "I was her older brother! I was supposed to protect her but I failed her!" He crumbled back to the ground holding his head in his hands in defeat. It felt like everything - his whole world, or what was left of it- was falling to pieces.

He looked up at them - his eyes burning. "How can we be a family when I can't even give you two what your looking for!? Love, affection, compassion, understanding! I can't do it! I won't do it!" He wrapped his arms around himself, his nails digging into his flesh. "I'm nothing..." he whispered as if to remind himself "I'm nothing but damaged goods..."

He felt a pair of arms wrap themselves over him. He looked up and saw her face - Galatea's face - over his own. Her eyes were filled with sadness - but a sadness that he felt was meant to reach out to him through his own - to console him in his pain.

"Dont - ever - say that," she said in a solemn voice. "You're not nothing - you're my friend - my family - and I will never abandon you. I swear to you."

"But-" he protested, "I just said-"

She placed one of her finger on his lips, silencing him. "Do you really think," she said softly, "That I care so little for you that something as simple as some words from your mouth are enough to push me away?"

_Why..? _he thought. _Why doesn't she run away? Why don't either of them just leave?_

"How?" he asked. "How can you stay with someone like me? I ran away from my past. I closed myself off to the world because I too weak..."

She reached down and grabbed his hands, holding them tightly. "You were only a child..." she said in a heartbreaking voice. "You were alone - no one was there for you... You did the only thing you could to survive... Yet even in that darkness you found yourself in... you saved me. You saved us. You let us come with you - you could have easily abandoned us if you wanted. But you didn't - you stayed and cared for us." She brought his hand up to her cheek, placing it against it. "Don't ever say that you can't love or have compassion Phillip... You're the strongest and kindest person I know... But from now on you don't always have to be strong. We will give you our strength and our resolve and you will never be without family and friends..." With that, she embraced him.

He felt a small pat on his back. He turned to find Athena standing behind him. The look of horror was gone from her, replaced with as close a look of compassion as she could probably make. She said nothing, but the look in her eyes spoke volumes.

His eyes began to burn. He reached up to rub them, and found tears flowing down his face. He began to shake, his entire body trembling as the memories and pain he had held back for so long broke through. He tried to calm himself, but it was no use as his breathing came in bursts. He broke down and cried, holding onto Galatea. Athena wrapped her arms behind him, the wings on her arms sheltering him from the world.

He shed more tears than he could count. But these tears were not just his - they belonged to that boy he would never be again. The boy who had lost everything and everyone, and had never been given the chance to grieve. Abandoned and treated like a pariah, he had run away from the pain out of fear. Fear of being alone when having to face the monsters.

But now, in the arms of his family, he had no need to fear. He had them, these two Pokemon, these two beings, who had shown him kindness and understanding where others had not. And so he cried, paying grief its due and repeating the same words over and over into the night.

_"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." _

_-Athena- _

It had been at least two hours since Phillip had fallen asleep. Galatea had remained quiet the whole time - she continued to cradle his head on her lap, sometimes placing her hand on his cheek. The guy's tears had dried up, leaving dry streaks under his eyes. The entire time he had cried, the two of them had held him as tightly as possible. Seeing him breakdown like that, when Phillip was normally so stoic and hard, was almost unreal. But then again, with the past he had, it was understandable.

Athena laid on her side, her body still aching from her brush with death. They should have tried to go back to camp, but time had flown by like nothing. But this constant silence was getting to her - and she wanted to talk to Galatea since a lot of shi-

"What would you like to talk about then?" The sudden words startled her. Galatea had turned to face her, her red eyes fixed on her.

"Oh..." she stuttered, "Well I... Wait! You've been spying on me!?" she yelled angrily.

Galatea put a finger up to her mouth, motioning to keep her voice down. "Yes, but only because I'm worried about you. You haven't received any medical attention after all."

Galatea stuck her head up proudly, "Hmph, I'm fine. Takes more than this to keep me down."

"I'm glad to hear that," said Galatea with a warm smile. "But as to my question..?"

"Oh, right." Athena looked down at Phillip before she spoke. "Are you really going to stay with him then? Like you promised?"

She could see the Gardevoir was taken slightly a back by her question. "Of course!" she gasped. "I'd never lie about something like that!"

Athena couldn't help but smile at her sister's reaction. "That's good to hear..."

Galatea composed herself, before looking back down at the boy. "And you? What are your plans?" She paused for a moment. "Will you stay with us? Even after everything that's happened?" That last part was in a very hopeful tone, and Athena could see that same hope reflected in Galatea's red eyes. Athena didn't have to think twice about her answer.

"Yeah..." she said with a smile, "Fuck it. Why not right?"

"Is it because he saved your life?"

"Partly... yeah I guess." As she thought back to what Galatea had shown her, the images flashed before her eyes. It made her stomach turn - but it also made her heart ache. An annoying feeling, but one she accepted as she looked down at the idiot. "But mostly... I think we've all seen enough crap in our lives, Galatea. I've had enough of that shit and I figure who best to hang out with than you guys? After all, you two understand this the same way I do." She looked up at her adopted sister and smiled. "And unlike other humans, he doesn't treat us like fucking pets."

"That's true," she said with a laugh. "He's definitely unique in that regard."

Athena hesitated for a moment before asking her next question - one that had been burning in her head ever since she had seen Phillip's memories.

"Hey, Galatea..." she said, "About humans in general... do you... not like them anymore?"

The Gardevoir stared at her without saying a word. Athena waited, but the silence only grew until it became unbearable.

"I'm only asking because I know - I know what it's like to hate them," she said. "When I was placed in those fights, I kept dreaming of killing all of the assholes who forced me into them. And I'm worried that now you'll feel the same way - since you saw all of that shit." She waited, hoping for an answer. The silence dragged on, but finally Galatea let out a long sigh.

"I don't know, Athena," she said as she turned back down to Phillip. "How could they have abandoned him when he was only a child?" She clenched her fist, biting her lower lip, her red eyes flashing. "How could they have been so cruel?" she asked bitterly.

"Humans are a weird group," Athena admitted. "I've dealt with them longer and what I can tell you is that they can accomplish shit that is unbelievable. But they can also do things that are unthinkable. They are the only creatures that I know of that can do both extremes."

"So should I forgive them then?" Galatea said in a hate filled voice. "Because they _can _do good even though they chose not to? They _chose_ to turn their backs on Phillip. They _chose_ to capture my parents growing up. They _chose _to treat you like a living weapon for money. You're saying they can do both good and bad? Then why is it than when it matters, they choose the latter?"

"But when it mattered - he chose to save us," she countered. "Don't forget Phillip is a human, Galatea. Erwin is a human too - and without his training all three of us would be _dead_. There _are_ assholes mixed in with them," she said as Galatea started to protest, "but to say they're evil in general is jumping a little too far, don't you think?"

"So I should be more wary of my bias? Is that what your saying?"she spat angrily.

"What I'm saying," sighed Athena, "Is that you have to keep in mind that nothing is perfect - you have to remember all the good things _along_ with the bad. And as far as good things are concerned, you have one of them right there." Athena walked up until she was face to face with the Gardevoir. "Don't _internalize_ this shit Galatea. The past is over - we all have to move on. And I know that dumb-ass wouldn't want you to hold onto this. If not for your sake, then do it for his and let this go."

Galatea was silent for a moment, and then she nodded slowly. She looked back down at Phillip, holding him in her arms.

Athena could only hope her words had had some impact.

_-Erwin-_

It was almost 10 in the morning as Erwin ate the last bits of his breakfast. Sitting across from him on the other side of the dying fire was Phillip and his team. They were silent as they ate, but the boy's eyes would dart up every once in a while, as if he wanted to say something but lost his nerve at the last second. Erwin poured himself another cup of coffee, his mind filled with all the new revelations the dawn had brought. This morning had been one hell of a ride - and the day had barely started.

Erwin had woken up pissed at the small dragon for the bite marks on his arm - now covered by gauze and medical tape- only to find out the world, as far as that trio was concerned, had been turned upside down.

Athena had gone head to head with a Pokemon much stronger than her and lived, Galatea had evolved into a full fledged Gardevoir and beaten - perhaps killed - said Pokemon, and Phillip... Erwin thought about what to say to him as he drank his coffee. Galatea had been kind enough to tell him what had happened to the boy and from the sounds of it, last night had been hell on earth for him. Something like that would have broken many people - most people in fact. But Erwin wasn't sure if that had happened to Phillip. That cold demeanor of his was gone - replaced with a sense of uncertainty and hesitation. The boy could barely lock eyes with him for more than a few seconds before he started looking away or at the ground.

Erwin knew he should say something - but what could he-

"Hey - uh - Erwin?"

His head snapped up as the voice cut through his thoughts. Phillip was looking right at him, his left leg bouncing up and down nervously on the balls of his feet.

"Well - I just - " Phillip stuttered for a moment, his voice filled with uncertainty. He paused, placed his plate down on the ground, and looked right at him as he regained his composure. "Thank you for everything you did for us," he said at last. "If you hand't trained us, I'm sure we would have been killed last night. So... thank you."

Erwin was silent for a moment. "Yeah..." he said at last. "No problem. It's just - I thought after everything that you saw last night - you might be..."

Phillip nodded,"I know - you thought I'd be a wreck or something right? Well... I can't say that I'm completely over everything that happened..." He looked over at his two Pokemon sitting next to him. "But breaking down is not an option for me - not anymore. Not when I have others counting on me." He looked back at Erwin and he saw for the first time a fire burning in the young man's eyes. A spark the likes of which he had never seen in him. "I won't fail them and I won't fail you guys either. I have a debt I owe to Sycamore and you that goes beyond the chance of cleaning my past up. I'll do my job and when you need me to take down Gino and whoever else is helping that bastard, let me know."

Erwin said nothing. This boy - no - this man had been through hell just last night. A weaker person would have crumbled to pieces at the visions he had been forced to watch. And yet, Phillip had not only persisted, but had used the experience as a way to free himself from the grasps of his demons. He had started coming to terms with his past and embracing his future.

A thought entered the old soldiers mind. He reached behind him and grabbed his jacket. Pulling out his knife, he cut away at the threads holding a patch on its right sleeve. Phillip and his two Pokemon only watched him in silence, probably wondering what he was doing and why. Finally done, he offered the patch to Phillip, who took it in his hand. He read the lettering on it to himself as his Pokemon tried to get a good look at the item. On the patch was a white background and directly on it was the black shadow of an armored soldier holding a sword. Emblazoned at the top in gold colored lettering was KSOS 9. Finally, at its bottom was a mantra in similar writing which read "In light's glory, we are shadow."

"Is this what I think it is..?" asked Phillip as he looked back up at him.

"Yeah," he replied with a nod. "That's the emblem of my old unit. I've kept that patch for the longest time - we soldiers tend to be sentimental types."

"But then why give to me?"

"What? You don't like it?" Erwin said with a small laugh. Phillip immediately started to apologize, but Erwin waved his words aside. "Truth be told Phillip, I'm giving it to you for a number of reason. First, it's a sign that you've completed this part of your training. As such, by this point you would have been placed in your own unit. But since this is a bit of an informal crash course, that will have to do."

Phillip nodded. "And the second reason?"

"The second reason - is so that you remember what you've agreed to, Phillip. That saying on there," he said pointing, "Is just as much a part of your life now as it was for mine, and still is to be honest. You know a truth about this world now that others do not. While they walk around, blessedly ignorant, you know what lurks in the dark corners of our country. And someday, it may fall to you, all of you, to fight that darkness."

Phillip's eyes betrayed no hesitation or fear, but rather burned with a fierce determination to see everything through to the end. But in the back of his mind, part of Erwin felt guilty, dragging a young life into a world he knew was filled with violence and cruelty. The boy, in all respects, had wanted to lead a peaceful life, albeit a solitary one. But now, he was willing to fight alongside Erwin and his comrades, except he had more to lose now. Fate had dealt him a cruel, yet kind, hand. At a time like this, there was a saying Erwin always called to mind - an old saying from a long dead culture.

_Those who wish for peace, prepare for war._

_-Sycamore- 16 hours later-_

The room was silent except for the constant clacking of keys as Sycamore wrote out his report on the first specimen Phillip and his team had tagged. A Nidoking of all things! When Sycamore had found out, he had been positively excited. It was like listening to a fabulous composition of classical art, and the first note had already taken his breath away.

Still, he had some reservations about Phillip trying to get close to Pokemon of such gargantuan size and power. Truthfully, it would be better if he started off small, otherwise there would be a genuine concern for his safety. He stooped typing for a moment as a sense of guilt washed over him. He had already lost several trainers, and now he was putting one in danger. But then again he had agreed so maybe..?

"Still pulling all nighters I see."

Sycamore almost jumped from his seat. He looked over his computer screen and found the familiar bulk of Erwin standing by the doorway to his office. He wore a sheepish grin on his face.

"Erwin! Mon amie!" he said standing up to receive his guest. "It's good to see you back! But what do mean an all nighter? It's barely-" he glanced at the watch on his wrist - it read 00:45. "Oh - nevermind."

The two broke into a laughter as Sycamore guided his guest to sit in the chair in front of the desk.

"So," said Sycamore taking his seat, "When did you come back? The training went well judging from the report you sent ahead."

"Just got back right now as a matter of fact - had to make a stop along the way," replied Erwin. "The training couldn't have gone better. Good it thing it did, otherwise..."

Sycamore nodded, his high spirits slowly dying down. "What happened was unfortunate. On the one hand, it seems that's what the young man needed to come to terms with what happened. But still... it's tragic to have happened that way..."

"Sometimes bitter medicine is best taken in one gulp," grunted Erwin, "Don't worry Augustine - he's in good company and he'll be fine. Speaking of which..." Erwin reached into his jacket and brought out a manila envelope. He placed on the table between them. Sycamore took it in his hands.

"What's this?" he asked as he opened it.

"The reason why I came back so late. It's some new information on that Pokemon - Galatea. I didn't want to send it electronically in case someone is keeping tabs on us."

Sycamore glanced up at him, and then started to look over the documents. As he read, his heart began to race and his eyes widened.

"H - how is this possible?" he asked incredulously, "She learned Psyshock on her own!?"

"Yep, our little Kirlia - now all grown up - learned a technique that should only be possible using a TM. Phillip said she learned it on the fly while fighting the Nidoking."

"Amazing - as far as the Ralts line goes that technique cannot be passed down by hereditary means. Maybe it's an atavism?"

"A throwback huh?" Erwin leaned back on his chair, his eyebrows pressed together in thought. "Maybe... that's the only logical explanation. But that aside, look at the images I took."

Sycamore skipped to the pictures in the packet. They seemed to depict an area where a battle had taken place. The overturned ground was pockmarked with small crevices and random stone pillars were everywhere.

"What am i looking at here?" he asked.

"That's the area where Phillip and his team fought the Nidoking. Those small strikes on the ground were from the Kirlia's attack. It must have been the first time she used it since the effect was scattered all over."

"Fascinating," whispered Sycamore.

"I'd suggest you look at the picture of the tree, if you want something interesting."

Sycamore found the image - a large oak with a single hole drilled into its center. Sycamore eyed Erwin, expecting something a kin to a joke.

"The next one," he said. "The one that pictures the backside."

Sycamore went to the next image - and his heart almost stopped. He rubbed his eyes, thinking it was a mistake - or maybe an illusion from lack of sleep. The entire tree had been blown out - leaving only a gaping hole in it's center. Shards of wood where everywhere and littered the ground. It looked like a small explosion had taken place inside it.

"What... is this?" he said in a stunned gasp.

"That's the Kirlia's work. As far as I can tell - that single shard had the stopping power of something like a .50 caliber bullet. When it hit the tree it must have shattered - but that one shard had such raw force behind it that it blew out the entire center. The thing fell over soon after I took this photo. The Nidoking, by the way, lucked out that she wasnt able to replicate that much power over the entire attack. Otherwise it would have had its head torn off."

"But-" stammered Sycamore, "If that's true then that Pokemon is in a different class all together! To have such power without having fully evolved is ludicrous!"

"I know - that's why I told you he's in good company" said Erwin with a small grin. "And now she's fully evolved with a greater sense of awareness. He won't be in any danger - he has the equivalent of a sentient nuke watching his back."

"Speaking of danger," said Sycamore as he put down the photos, "Do you think they will come for him? This group calling for a... what was it? Convergence?"

"They should have..." replied the general, "That's one of the reasons I went to see them. I'd have expected them to come looking for him since by now they must know Phillip isn't dead. But..." He showed Sycamore his empty palms to emphasize the point.

"The Gengar that attacked them. You don't think it belonged to one of them?" he asked tentatively.

"No," he said, "I'll admit someone was probably influencing its actions - but it doesn't match the pattern of the other cases. That being there are no witnesses remaining. Also, I can't see them simply putting me in a deep sleep. If it had been them - I'm sure they would have slit my throat given the chance."

"So..." sighed Sycamore running his hand through his hair, "We may very well have another player in the game."

"I supposed so - but I didn't come bearing all bad news." Erwin produced a small photo from his pocket and slid it over. "And no, it was not easy for me to get them to do this."

Sycamore looked down at the new photo. The picture was of Phillip and his two Pokemon. They were standing by the edge of a cliff overlooking a valley. Athena, the Gabite, looked a little worse for wear, but still had that fiery spirit in her eyes he had heard about from Erwin as she stood by her trainer's left side. Galatea, now a Gardevoir, stood right next to Phillip, holding his arm, her head leaning on his shoulder. She was wearing a small smile, her unusually long hair tied in a braid that fell down the right side of her body. And then there was Phillip. He had his tracker gun secured on his right hip, and the rifle Erwin had given him slung on his back. But the thing that stood out to Sycamore the most was much simpler - he was smiling. It was an awkward smile- but it was real and genuine. Gone was that cold, distant demeanor. Now, Sycamore could see the warmth coming from the man's eyes - and he had those two Pokemon to thank for that. It warmed Sycamore's heart - the idea that Phillip had found a sense of peace again.

_Finally, my young friend, _thought Sycamore to himself, _You have found home again._

**Thank you everyone for your support! See you next time!**


	12. Epilogue

**Prologue/Epilogue**

**Hello readers! As promised here is a prologue/epilogue connecting the first and second parts of this story. I plan to use these each time I conclude a section of the story. Look forward to the next chapter and as always - please leave comment! I always appreciate feedback! **

**Disclaimer - I do not own any copyright material used here. Any copyright property belongs to their owners. This story is not made for any profit.**

It was almost sunset before Erwin had finished his work at the shop. He placed the last of the restock items on their shelves before hauling empty boxes to the back area for recycling to pick up the next day. It had been surprisingly busy - a couple of amateur hiking groups and a few lone customers had come through looking for various pieces of equipment. He'd made some good money today which meant he could keep the doors open at least. Truth be told, his pension from the military was enough for his needs. He only did this line of work so that he wouldn't be bored out of his mind in retirement.

With the last of the boxes stacked, Erwin paused to take in the setting sun. Its light cast an amber glow on everything it touched, long shadows stretching everywhere. The sudden calm caused an urge for a cigarette - a "bad" habit he'd never bothered to get rid of.

_Well hell, _he thought as he lit one from his pocket, _We all have our guilty pleasures._ He took a long puff, the tip glowing and breaking off as he inhaled the familiar, warm aroma. He exhaled, and a small cloud of acrid smoke filled the space in front of him.

"So," he said aloud to the empty courtyard, "Are you going to come out this time?"

She had gotten better at her teleportation - he almost didn't notice her appear in the shadow of a nearby tree. The Gardevoir - Galatea - floated out into the open. She held her hands clasped in front of her white dress in an elegant fashion. The way she composed herself was nothing short of graceful and confident. The change from when he had met her as a Kirlia was dramatic, to say the least.

"So you noticed me?" she asked in a voice that seemed to echo around them. Erwin had to admit - she had the voice of an angel.

"Yeah I did - I noticed you digging through my head every once in a while too for the last few days- grabbing anything you could find that relates to Phillip,"he said taking another puff from his cigarette, keeping his eyes on her.

"Interesting" she muttered, "Humans shouldn't have that kind of awareness."

"Uh-uh. You're talking to someone with special training. I worked with Psychic Pokemon all the time and there were things that I knew that I couldn't share with anyone. So I learned how to at least tell when someone is probing in here," he pointed to his forehead. "or even block them out entirely. But I didn't mind you searching for answers - so long as you left certain things alone." He took one last whiff from the cigarette before throwing to the ground and crushing it under foot. "So - what can I do for you?"

"Why are you all getting Phillip involved in this?" Galatea demanded. "Why can't you find some other way to prosecute these people?"

"Ah - right to the point," said Erwin "Basically - you want us to stop trying to get him involved in this investigation. Set him free so you all can live happily ever after - just like a fairy tale ending right?"

"_Don't _mock me, Erwin." growled the Gardevoir. He was _a little_ taken a back - she had never been this aggressive before.

"I'm not," said Erwin with a small chuckle, "But that's the truth - you want him to be set free from all this. But you're ignoring the fact that once that group finds out he's alive - they'll come after him. He's a loose end after all."

"But they haven't - and in your opinion they already know."

"That could mean they're planning something worse for him," he countered, shrugging his shoulders.

"Then I'll stop them."

"By yourself?"

"If I have to - then I will."

"Even if that means killing another human being and bloodying your hands? In front of Phillip?"

Galatea glared at him in silence without saying a word. But Erwin knew the problem wasn't she couldn't answer - it was that she could - and easily by the looks of it.

"So... have a dislike for humans now. Is that it?" he asked.

"What was done to Phillip was evil. Not only was his family slaughtered in front of him - he was abandoned when he needed humans the most. So yes - you could say my views have shifted a little." The tone in her voice and the contempt behind her eyes spoke more than words. This was more than a _little. _

"But Phillip is a human - I'm human by the way - does that mean we're evil too?" he asked.

"Not at all - but humans cannot be easily trusted. Nor can their actions be so easily forgiven."

"Well, what can I say..." he said with a smile, "We _are_ imperfect beings." This new outlook explained why she was more willing to use the Psychic abilities. Before, humans were intimidating to her, or at best a curiosity. But after what she saw, she had gone through her own change just like Phillip had that night. Now she saw humans as threats and if it meant protecting the boy, then she had no issue with something as simple as violating another's privacy. If that was the case, then who knows to what lengths she would go to protect him. _The ends justifying the means._

"So... do you know then? My thoughts on this group? It's goals?" he asked, changing the subject slightly.

Galatea said nothing - she only nodded.

"Then you know I'm skeptical of trying to _legally_ nail them to the wall. I'm only following that route because my compatriots think that's the best one to take. But I have my own thoughts on how this will play out. Even so, Phillip is a key part of stopping something even worse from happening - stopping what _I_ think is going to happen. You have to understand why we can't let Phillip out of this. Risking one life to save millions is not a hard choice."

"He will _not_ be a sacrificial pawn for you people!" she shouted. Her hands were clenched to her sides - shaking in rage.

"That's fine. But what do you plan to do now that he's volunteering on his own"

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What are you saying?" she asked.

"Phillip spent his whole life running from his own demons - I don't think that boy will run from something else so soon," said Erwin. "We humans - especially men you could argue- have our pride to consider. When given the chance, we thump our chests and go into the fray out of our own, primal volition. It might have been possible for you to convince him to escape before that night. He had nothing to _make_ him want to stay. Sure - he wanted his record cleaned up for his own benefit - but you could have pushed him to consider other options."

"So what?" she asked in a hissing voice, "Are you counting on Phillip to become some kind of hero - a leader - for your cause now that he's recovered?"

"No - I'm counting on the same thing you are. For him to care about others again - for him to reconnect with his humanity." He pointed at the glaring Pokemon. "And he has you to thank for that, Galatea. You gave that opportunity back to him and whether you like humans or not, that was probably the kindest thing anyone could have done for that boy."

The Pokemon was silent, regarding Erwin and his words. Then she relaxed, ever so slightly, her shoulders dropping a little.

"The way you put it - it's almost like he was better off before," she muttered. "At least then his life wasn't in danger..."

Erwin walked up to her, and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. He looked her straight in the eyes. "Let's be honest here - we both know that was no way for a person to live."

"_I know_ \- I just wish he hadn't become involved in _any_ of this," her voice had grown heavyhearted and tired. "He deserves better - so does Athena. They deserve to live happy and peaceful lives. To be spared from any more dangers and evils of this world."

She turned to float away, letting his hand drop from her, but Erwin wasn't done.

"Galatea!" He shouted after her, causing her to stop - but she didn't turn to face him. "I'm sorry - for what you saw and for what happened to him. I just want you to know that had I been there - had I_ known_ \- I would've stepped in to help him..."

She turned her head slightly, but her eyes were covered by her bangs. Only her mouth could be seen. "But you _weren't _there were you?" Her voice was filled with anger once again. "_No one was there. _Not a _single_ person helped him. All of those humans left him on his own - assuming he would become a _monster_ like the people who took his family!" She paused to take a deep breath - and then turned to face him. Her scarlet eyes met his and stared deeply at him - as if measuring his very soul. "I believe you though Erwin," she said in a calmer voice. "I know Sycamore and that other man you work with - Jax, right? You are all good people - but the reality is that all of you - and Phillip - are the exceptions."

She turned and began to float away. As she left, she spoke back to him. "If he chooses your path Erwin, then I'll fight alongside him and I expect you to do the same. But remember, I fight for my family first and foremost."

He nodded. "You can count on us'" he called after her "We're all in this together after all."

She didn't say another word as she vanished in a flash of light.

_-Cemetery - Outskirts of Geosenge-_

Night had fallen in the sleepy town of Geosenge as residents went to sleep for the day. The town was small, one of the smallest in Kalos with barely enough residents to even qualify as one. For the most part, it was known for the strange stone structures which surrounded it - stone pillars made centuries ago and rumored to have some kind of powers.

Or at least it had been - several years ago all that had changed. This town had played host to an event that nearly wiped out all of life, led by a man seeking to build an Eden on Earth. Now, humans with weapons were constantly around the site where the machine had been buried in one last blaze of glory. They investigated anyone who came close to the wreckage, sometimes with violent methods.

But none of that mattered - not to a lone figure standing in a town cemetery a ways away. It stood in front of a stone grave, the marker small and worn. It wore a dark black overcoat that covered all of its features. A tophat, resting on its head, hid the rest of the features. In front of the grave, it had placed a bouquet of spider lilies, they're bright red color contrasting sharply with the gray tones of the stone marker. The figure stood silently, looking at the gravestone, until finally it spoke.

"I did as you asked," it said in a man's voice, "Though I have to admit I never expected such a distasteful request from you. I don't like to play the part of the villain." It leaned closer to the stone, as if to get a good look. "I hope death hasn't besmirched your dignity and kindness."

The winds howled around the long lines of gravestones. The figure stood up, as if taking in the scene around it.

"No... I suppose you're right. It had to be done. But you know, it wasn't an easy task - a small error on my part and I would have joined you in the afterlife..."

It turned on its heels as if to leave, but paused for a moment. It turned it's head slightly around to look back. Anyone looking at the figure would have noticed nothing but black shadow in the small gap between the coat and tophat.

"Of course. I will not reveal anything you have shown me until the time is right. Such knowledge should not be shared beforehand with those bound to this realm. But I hope that for all our sakes... you are horribly wrong about all of this, my old friend."

Then, like a wisp of smoke, it was gone.

_-Elsewhere-_

The night was still young, but he already felt a profound sense of accomplishment as he cleaned off the last of the woman's blood from his blade.

He couldn't help but chuckle at how this whole thing had gone down. The fool actually though he was a trainer - since he still carried some empty PokeBalls on his belt. Of course, she had been wrong. He was something far worse. The look on her face when he cut the throat of that Growlithe of her's was something he would never forget - it was a look only brought on by utter despair as she realized her mistake.

Then again - it was what she deserved for acting like a predator when she was nothing more than prey. Her last cowardly whimpering, her bowels turning loose as he began stabbing her over and over in her chest until she was dead - an end fitting for someone who had no real strength. She had mistaken her Pokemon's power for her own and when it had failed she had been exposed for what she really was - a coward.

Gino sat before the scene admiring his work - after all he was one of only a few people who could grasp it. The scent of iron in the air from the blood, the corpses of his enemies on the ground, and even his own wounds from when that dog had bitten him - they were all pieces of a great work. Humans had become so disconnected from the need to survive - using Pokemon as tools and boasting about their own power when they had none themselves - it made Gino's work all but a necessity. And to be honest he never felt more alive than when it came to these moments.

His communicator rang in his pocket, breaking his trail of thought. He took one look at the ID on it and answered.

"Well, this is a surprise," he said with a small laugh. "you rarely call when I'm out on the field."

"I assume everything is going well?" answered a distorted voice on the other end of the line. It was altered on purpose for security, should anyone be eavesdropping.

"Of course - though I may gone a little overboard and killed some more than I was supposed to..." he added, feigning regret.

"As long as they can assume the connection to the others - then it doesn't matter." The voice paused for a moment, "It appears you've been getting sloppy with your work, Gino."

"How so?" he asked, his interest piqued.

"The boy you said you terminated a few weeks ago. We never found a report of his body being found - even in the black records the Kalosian government keeps away from prying eyes."

Gino's eyebrows climbed skyward._ The little prick had survived then. He was tougher than he looked._

"Hmph - well in that case I'll go right away and track him down - finish the job," he said as he got up.

"No - I want you to leave this one alive."

Gino paused - he had never been ordered to spare a life.

"Can I ask _why_? This could lead to our discovery by government authorities that care... Witnesses tend to muck things up after all."

"He knows no more than the three who are tracking us already and could become an unwitting asset like the rest" the voice replied. "In fact I plan to feed them some more information - just enough to wet their appetite."

"This is a very dangerous game your playing," said Gino after a pause, "If you're not careful, your ambitions could end all of us."

"But it's precisely why this game is so dangerous, that you've bet your life on it's outcome," replied the voice with a hint of amusement, "Is that not right, ex-Major?

Gino smiled a predator's grin. "You know me too well it seems..."

"Move on and await further orders," came the command, "Our operatives are making final arrangements with customs officials to execute the next stage. This world shall be purged in flames, and belong to the fallen as it always should have."

"As you wish," The moonlight glinted off his bloodied blade, casting a scarlet glow across his face. "Until the day of convergence, my sovereign - I shall happily play the reaper."

**Until next time readers! -Bladewing265**


	13. Chapter 12

**I Will Protect You (In the Coming Storm) **

**Chapter 12**

**Hello again readers - time for a new chapter! Before we start - I want to list a couple of changes that will take effect from here on out. **

**1) Before each break in a chapter there will be a location, date and time stamp to help track time jumps, when events are happening and where. The date will be follow by the acronym AAZ - "After AZ" - since I'm using the war involving AZ as my starting point. **

**2) Times will be written in military time. 300 = 3:00AM, 1200 = 12:00AM, 2300 = 11:00PM, etc. **

**That's it for now! Happy reading!**

_**Southeastern Kalosian Mountains, March 5th, 3012 AAZ, 1130, (Two years after Chapter 11)**_

The Pokemon swung at Phillip's head with it's right claw - forcing him to drop to the ground to avoid decapitation. He rolled to the side immediately after, just as the creature's tail came swinging down, burying it's claw into the ground where he had been laying. He kicked the earth with all his might, launching himself away from his opponent and getting some much needed distance. It turned to face him - ready to charge at him again.

Drapion's were nothing to joke around with - especially these larger ones. They had a claw on each arm and for good measure, they had one on a long tail behind them. Each one could crush a human skull like a cherry or deliver a fatal dose of poison - both were things Phillip would prefer to avoid. For the kicker, they had two fangs which could do just about the same thing. But the real problem was that they had a layer of exoskeleton which made attacking them almost pointless. It was this layer of protection that made them confidant enough to simply run at their opponent without regard.

The creature stomped the ground, preparing for another charge. Phillip drew out a combat knife from his boot, holding it in a right hand that was wearing a strange metal gauntlet. The scratches on the knife's black blade spoke of the countless fights it had been in - but it was still lethally sharp and equally sturdy. The gauntlet itself was a prototype from an amateur arms developer that had passed it on to Erwin, who in turn had given it to Phillip for testing. The Drapion, clearly not impressed, roared and ran headlong at him.

He waited until it was almost on top of him, rearing it's claws as it prepared to dismember him. He pushed hard with his legs and jumped straight into the Pokemon's attack. It's claws, already in motion, barely missed him as he got within the attack. The Drapion adjusted, swinging it's tail down from above. He used his knife and blocked the attack by placing the blade between the pincers. Before the attack could lose momentum, he twisted the blade around and pushed the attack to the left. He let go of the weapon, and the tail once again buried itself in the ground.

The Drapion paused for a moment - and that was all the time he needed needed. While Drapions did have excellent protection - it also made them arrogant and reckless. Most of the time that didn't matter, but when their opponent is packing a modified Shotgun Gauntlet carrying three electric stun rounds - it made for a bad strategy. He reared his fist back, and then drove it into the weakest part of the armor - a gap between two of the segments. On impact, one of the rounds was discharged, blasting several pellets into the creatures body. At the same time, a special spring in the gauntlet caused most of the kinetic energy from the recoil to be shaved off to prevent personal injury. It still kicked like a Taurus, but at least using the thing didn't cause him to lose his hand from the wrist up.

The creature made several strangled cries before the electricity overwhelmed it's nervous system, causing it to collapse. Phillip stepped back from the knocked out Pokemon, but there was no time for celebration. A chorus of cries came from around them as more Drapion's charged into view. There were so many that the chances of him getting out alive were slim - had he been alone.

The ground began to shake, but it wasn't the approaching stampede. He braced himself as an enormous rock formation broke out of the surface - so large it was like a new mountain being born. Half of the Drapions were flung into the air by the landmass - and then next to him a behemoth clawed it's way out of the ground and rose out. The new arrival was covered in a green armor, with gray plates protecting it's belly - a Tyranitar. It roared as it's attack devastated the army in front of it. The other half, heedless of what just happened, kept rushing at them.

The Tyranitar prepared to launch another attack, but before it could two figures flew past it, leaving a dust cloud in their wake. They moved so fast that they appeared as a blurry red and blue mass. They charged straight at the Bug Pokemon, and then all hell broke loose. A torrent of water erupted, launching half of the Drapions into the air, leaving them to slam back to Earth. The others were enveloped in a twister of flames before an explosion knocked them back, rending them unconscious. Two Pokemon suddenly materialized in the middle of the chaos. One was a Greninja, it's sleek shape betraying the fast nature of its attack. The second was a Blaziken, its wrist and legs enveloped in raging flames.

Only one Drapion was left - but this one was the most dangerous. It was large - about the size of the Tyranitar. It was the leader of the pack they had just demolished - and it was seething with rage. It roared, brandishing it's claws, ready to fight the ones who had besmirched the honor of its hive. A second roar echoed out in response, causing them all to look up. Behind the mask that covered his face, Phillip smiled - of course she had been waiting for the strongest one to fight. From a ledge up top - a large purple figure flew to the ground and landed with an enormous crash. As the dust settled, the new addition came into view. The creature looked draconian with two wings extending from it's arms. Each one had a menacing claw that could shatter boulders into dust. Her yellow irises reflected her menacing strength and her mouth was lined with sharp teeth. Her head was adorned with two bulbous horns. The dragon looked back at the human, bearing her fangs in a grin.

He extended his arm towards the Drapion, inviting the Garchomp to try.

The Bug-type charge headlong without warning, it's three claws converging on it's new adversary. The Garchomp blocked two with it's own, leaving just the third aiming for it's head. In one swift motion, it moved its head to the side, and then bit down on the tail as the stringer passed by harmlessly. The Drapion roared in pain, but the dragon wasn't done yet. It pulled the Drapion into the air, and swung it around like a ragdoll, letting go and sending the beast crashing into a rock formation. In one swift motion, the Dragon pounced on top of the Drapion, delivering a Dragon Claw that shook the ground they all stood on. The Garchomp stepped back, and seeing her opponent knocked out, snorted angrily.

The dragon looked back at the human, it's eyes showing irritation at the lack of opponents.

"Shouldn't be all of them..." he muttered. "There should be about... twice as many? I wonder where they are?"

_"They are... indisposed of."_

All of them jumped as a new voice came from behind them. They turned and saw a white figure, dressed in flowing gown - a Gardevoir. It had deep red eyes and a long trail of green hair, tied into an elegant braid falling down it's left side. She wore a small, satisfied smile on her face.

"_All of them?"_ he asked in surprise.

"Just about," she replied. "Don't worry, they'll be fine after a little while."

"WHAT - THE - HELL!?" roared the dragon. "I though you said you would stop doing that!"

"Well I didn't want you guys to get hurt..." she replied with a smile.

"Okay - enough already." The human walked between the two Pokemon as a new fight was about to erupt. "Let's finish this up shall we?"

"Right! Me hungry enough to each whole Taurus!" exclaimed the Tyranitar.

"Don't know about eating the Taurus - but count me in for some bangers!" said the Blaziken.

"I agree - we and young lord would do well to eat a proper meal," chimed in the Greninja.

"_Stop_ calling me that al-" He was interrupted by grunting noise behind them. The Drapion was starting to get back up - its eyes filled with the need for bloody revenge.

"Oh, right." Phillip took out a small pistol, locking a single round into the chamber. He opened a compact screen on the side of the weapon as he leveled it up. He aimed and fired a single round, striking the Pokemon in the forehead and causing it to go back down. With the tracker was in place, he walked over and picked up his knife, putting it back into its holder on his left hip and replacing the tracker on his right.

"Mission accomplished," he turned to face the Gardevoir. "Galatea, if you don't mind."

"Gladly," she said with a small curtsy.

A second later, all of them were enveloped in a purple light. When it was gone, the mountains were replaced by a small camp in a forest clearing. They had finally come back home.

"Now Atlas," tisked the Gardevoir at the Tyranitar, "Don't go eating the ingredients for lunch again like last time. We actually have to _make_ the meal."

"Yes Galatea," he said in submission. The Blaziken gave him a solitary pat on the back.

"Ma'am is always right, you know," Ares said cheerfully as he turned to the Greninja, "Ain't that right Higure?"

"You would be correct, Ares" he replied in a low whisper.

Before anything else could be said, the Garchomp unexpectedly ran up and tried to take a swipe at the Gardevoir, but she vanished and reappeared holding onto the dragon's back.

"Looks like you need a hug!" she said in a babying voice that was clearly meant to anger the dragon even more.

"No I don't!" it said twisting and bucking as it tried to throw off it's unwanted passenger. "Get the fuck off Galatea!"

"Awww, you look so adorable when your angry Athena!" she said laughing.

The dragon rolled to the ground, prompting Galatea to teleport off of her. She got up, facing her adopted sister as she reappeared in front of her.

"You wanna go..?" asked the dragon with a wolf's grin on her face.

"Anytime..." replied the Gardevoir, a look of eagerness playing on her face.

"No fighting before lunch you two."

The two of them looked over at Phillip. He had removed the mask he wore to cover his face from dust and dirt. Two years had seen him receive a scar along the left side of his face - courtesy of a Scyther who had proven more resourceful than they had estimated. But still - his brown eyes could become stone and freeze others in place - like right now.

"Hmph - fine. You're such a mood killer Phillip," growled the dragon as it stalked away to its bedding place.

The Garveoir bowed her head apologetically. "I'm sorry - I started it again..." she muttered.

He walked up to her, and placed a hand on her head, rubbing it gently. When she looked up at him, he smiled warmly. Her eyes always brought him a sense of peace and comfort like nothing else could.

"Scuffles are normal in a family," he said grinning "Isn't that right?".

The Gardevoir broke into a smile. "Right!"

Galatea and Phillip got to work preparing the meal while the rest cleared up the camp - and made sure nothing was lurking around them. In a few minutes, they had a warm stew going on the campfire. They're work done, they could look forward so to some relaxation for the next few days as they monitored the new Pokemon they had tagged for Professor Sycamore's project.

The food done at last, they settled into lunch, the group enjoying the bright day.

"You know," said Athena through mouthfuls of food, "If you had fucked up by just an inch - you'd be shit on the ground right now Phil."

"Ti's true, my lord," agreed Higure, "How is it that you think it appropriate to take such risks? What would we have done if harm had come to you?"

"Stop - calling - me - lord," growled Phillip, "I'm not your guys' master."

"But you _did _say we can call you whatever we'd like mate," teased Ares, "so I guess you've only yourself to blame for that sticky bit, kinda like today, when you said it'd be a trifle to sneak up on those Drapes without waking the whole hive, ain't that right?"

Phillip let out a frustrated sigh - a clear sign of defeat.

Atlas let out a booming laugh. "Boss man tripped over words like Galatea trips over him!"

The rest of them started laughing, their cheerful cries rolling over the forest top.

Galatea's face got red. "What's that supposed to mean!?" she demanded.

"Come now ma'am," chuckled Ares with wink, "We both now why you took the initiate and brought down the rest of the Drapions."

"Which just goes to show..." said Phillip is a sing song voice, "You guys piss her off and she comes for you - it's your funeral."

"Hell hath no fury, like a Gardevoir's," said Athena with a sneer.

This time - they all laughed.

_**Southeastern Kalosian Mountains, March 5th, 3012 AAZ, 2305**_

_**Galatea**_

Galatea woke from her dream with a start, her heart racing. She rubbed her eyes as they adjusted to the darkness of the night, barely broken by the dying camp fire casting a small amber glow. It was always the same - she would hear a voice calling to her - but could make out neither the words nor who it was, only that whatever they were saying was important. She sat up and looked around to find Phillip missing. For a mad second, she feared something similar to that night - the night that had taken them through hell, but had delivered them to a brighter future. Then she remembered, it was his turn to pull guard duty. A quick check and she found Phillip was just a ways away, probably keeping up with the news or just enjoying the peace and quiet. After all, Athena's snoring sometimes got to her too.

She teleported instantly to where he was - finding him sitting by the edge of a cliff overlooking the valley below. He had his rifle on him - a needed precaution in these mountains. He looked around at her, his face smiling as he knew it was her.

"Hey," he said patting the ground next to him. "Can't sleep?"

"Just woke up," she said lazily as she sat down next to him. "How about you?"

"I can - but I wanted to keep up with the outside world," he said waving his PokeNav. They were silent for a moment - the only noise coming from the gentle night breeze flowing through the forest. He looked back out into the valley, smiling. "You know Galatea, these last two years have been pretty good to us."

She smiled, placing her hand on his own, admiring the same view. "They have been," she said, "I never thought our family would grow this big."

"Yeah, same here," he said with a laugh, "I thought it was just going to be the three of us from then on- but then one by one the rest of them came along. I hope they're happy here with us."

"Of course they are," she said reassuringly, "After all - you allowed them to choose for themselves, a sign of respect no other human had ever shown them. I think that's one of the reason they trust you so much - you treat them as equals and respect their decisions." She turned to face him, "That's why - for all of our sakes - don't put yourself in danger like that all the time."

"I was fine..." he said with a grin, "You, Athena, and the rest were watching my back."

"It's not a joke, Phillip," she said sternly, "We all worry about you. Athena might not show it but I could feel her anxiety when you were fighting that Drapion today." She stopped herself before he words became too harsh. "I just want you to stay with us for a long time..." she said in a gentler tone, "Like you said - we're a family now."

"Yeah..." he conceded, "I know your right. It's just..." his voice trailed off.

"It's just what?" she asked.

He looked over at her, his brown eyes reflecting the moonlight. "It's just that after being alone and without a reason to live for so long, it makes me feel that I have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to living - I think that's why I get a little reckless sometimes. And besides..." he looked back out into the valley, "If I'm asking you guys to take risks - then I have to do the same. Like I've said, I'm no coward."

She smiled. "We know - and the truth is we admire you for that. Just _try _to be a little more careful - for my sake?"

"Sure," he chuckled, "I'll keep that in mind."

She leaned on his shoulder as they stared out into the open expanse of the valley. Galatea treasured these moments she got to spend with him. They happened rarely with the rest of her siblings around - which made them all the more special. It had been two years since they had begun their journey - two years since Phillip had been forced to leave his past behind and look to the future - two years since she had made her vow to protect him and never permit any harm to come to him. So much had happened since then - and yet she hadn't been able to confess her feelings for him.

They had always been there - ever since he had saved her and they had only grown stronger. Her heart had made its choice when she evolved that day and she would never stop loving him, no matter how much pain may come from it. But accepting her feelings and openly admitting them were two different tasks entirely. She worried that if he ever found out, it would mean the end of their friendship - or at least tarnish it. After all - she was a Pokemon and he, a human. The only one who knew besides herself was Athena - and her understanding and compassion were like a shelter to Galatea from the storm inside of her, regardless of how crass she could be with her advice. But still - her heart and body burned for him everyday, a passion reflected in vivid dreams she had been having recently.

By the time she drifted off, she had completely forgotten to ask him what he had been reading about - all she had seen was a headline she had caught of a glimpse of.

_Radicals in Our Midst: The Growing Threat of Extremists Political Parties in Kalos. _

**_Phillip_**

Phillip gently held his long time companion as she slept beside him. Her small frame always made him think he would hurt her if he put even the smallest amount of pressure on her, so delicate were her features. But as it was often said, don't judge a book by its cover. When Erwin had filled him in of the report he had given to Sycamore shortly after their first training, he had been shocked at what he had seen. The reality was that Galatea was a force to be reckoned with - and ever since that day she had only proven that fact. Her defeating an entire horde of wild Pokemon out here wasn't out of the ordinary - she did it all the time in fact. It brought Athena no small amount of frustration since she prided herself as the "vanguard" in their unit. But Galatea always went out of her way to ensure they were all safe.

But it was partly why that desire was born that made him regret what she had seen that night years ago. He could tell easily - Galatea had come to loath most of humanity. Where he had simply shut himself out from them, she had passed judgement on their actions. Whenever they went back to Lumiouse or any other city or town, he noticed she kept herself on guard when around other people and regarded them with a mixture of mistrust and animosity, hidden under a veil of politeness. He had tried to expose her to others- to show her the lighter side of his kind, but all too often it didn't make much of any impression on her. As far as she was concerned, humans would fail her and the ones she loved when it truly mattered as they had before, it was only a matter of time.

It was for that reason, that Phillip had asked Erwin to train him in how to fortify his mind against Psychic intrusions. Galatea already had enough to justify her position, and he didn't want her to know more on what was going on in regards to Sycamore's ongoing investigation. He felt guilty sometimes about hiding things from her - but when and if the time came , he promised himself he wouldn't hesitate to share what he knew with them in full. He looked down at the article on his communicator, moving carefully so as to not disturb her. He hated to admit it - but the old man's claim that he was at war was becoming evermore real. Each day, it seemed, brought further unrest in the country with people turning against each other.

In two years time a wealth of information had come through regarding the enemy organization Gino belonged to. They had suspects name's, more video footage - everything but a name. They had been calling the group "Convergence", but what this organization actually called themselves had yet to be determined. Unlike Team Flare, which had made a habit of promoting itself in public, the movements this criminal group made were quiet and precise - which meant they could me more dangerous than Flare, and those idiots had nearly killed the entire planet. All they needed was a strong link between it and one of the new political parties vying for power. One of them, they agreed, had to be connected to this group. Doing that could allow them to find the source of all this.

Regardless, Phillip and the others would fight if the time ever came - Athena, Galatea, and himself had made that decision two years ago. Atlas, Ares, and Higure had agreed also when they had joined them after learning what they knew. While they had little to do with the world outside this wilderness, the fact is they still called Kalos their home. Having it fall into the hands of murderers was not an option. They would remain in the shadows, protecting the terrain they called home from trespassers, like the poachers who had begun entering these lands with more frequency. They had already caught 3 this month, but they never ceased to end.

Phillip turned off the communicator after a while - he had taken all he could for now. He held Galatea as he looked out over the wilderness - he was thankful for the peace and calm of the solitary mountains, for however long they would last.

_**Lumiose City, March 8th, 3012 AAZ, 1204**_

Erwin eyed the crowed warily in the local square, keeping his distance from the ever growing mass of people in front of him. They crowded around a hastily set up stage, draped in this party's flags and colors which were deep green and gold. More flags had been draped down from balconies of local businesses - but it was a question whether they supported the group or simply put the flags out to avoid trouble. The people who attended these things could get rowdy, and more than once they had attack bystanders out of suspicion.

These rallies were becoming more and more common as people, pushed to the margins of society, needed a place to vent their frustrations and anger. As with all of them, there was always someone at the center - a leader that galvanized the followers and promised them prosperity, jobs, a future for the children, and whatever else they wanted to hear. In this case, that leader was a woman, wearing elegant business attire, matching her party's colors.

She walked up to the stage - waving at the crowd with a faux smile. The people responded with cheers of adulation - waving their small party flags so hard Erwin thought some might break off the handle. They cried out, begging her, to say something. Begging to be guided, like lambs.

"My fellow citizens - we must stand against this corruption!" she yelled out at the top of her voice to a roaring crowd. "For the sake of our children and future generations of Kalos! We must take back our country - push out criminals who cross into our borders - intent on killing and trampling over all of our traditions..."

Erwin tuned her out, turning his back and walking away - she was like the rest of them. These groups always brought people together in the cheapest way possible - making an "other". He had seen it play out all over the world during his time in the service - bring people together who are pissed - blame one group for all or most of their problems - and unite to deal with said group/problem. Unfortunately - these kinds of things led to massive persecution of that scapegoat in question, often with violent and tragic results.

As he walked down Estival Avenue, he contemplated his own plans - plans which he had not discussed with anyone. The truth was, this civie investigation was not moving fast enough. At the rate this was going, the country would rip itself apart, which meant he had to set up contingencies for such a scenario. But by acting on them, he could be considered a traitor to the very country he sought to protect.

"But is you goal to protect this land - or it's people, dear soldier?"

Erwin jumped at the voice coming behind him. He reached into his pocket for his service pistol as he turned, but stopped short of pulling it out when he saw the voice belonged to an elderly woman. He wore a black and purple dress, worn and moth-eaten in places. She had a scarf around her neck, and several pennants in her hair, decorated by ornamental stones. Her dark brown skin stretched tautly over her frame as she looked over at him with her silver eyes. In front of her was a worn out hat, with Kalosian currency inside.

His eyes narrowed. "Who are you? How do you know who I am?" he demanded.

"You can call me Minerva, my dear." She said with a wryly grin and raspy voice. "As for you, the way to carry yourself gives you away. It's not hard to see that much. But your boots as well - those are issued only in our country's _glorious_ army - is that not correct?"

He said nothing, waiting for this woman to make the next move. She continued almost immediately.

"I'm sure your wondering why I said anything about your intentions" she said. "Well dear, I've seen you go to several of those blasted communal gatherings - and each time you're the only one that is lost in thought. Everyone else is either ecstatic or repulsed by what is being said. You on the other hand - I can see that you do not agree with them - but your thoughts carry you to somewhere beyond that simple reasoning. As if, you have an option, but one you are unsure of exercising. Perhaps you are worried of where such an act can take you?"

This old woman was very insightful - too insightful. Erwin didn't trust her - but he couldn't exactly take her in for questioning with all of the pedestrians around.

"Well then," he said cautiously, "What is your advice then?"

She smiled, revealing a few gaps where missing teeth once were. "Follow your heart - my dear," she said, "It is your duty to protect this country - yes. But a country is nothing without the spirit of those who call it home. Protect that spirit - that is your true duty - rather than protecting an empty cold shell."

Erwin stood there, silently, for what seemed an eternity as he stared back at the old woman. He could find nothing to suggest she was an enemy - but nothing to confirm she was an ally. Perhaps she was just throwing shots in the dark for her own amusement. He reached down into his pocket for his wallet, but she weaved his act away, getting up to leave.

"Don't bother dear," she said, "This one is free. You can pay the price the next time around." With that, she walked away.

_**Southeastern Kalosian Mountains, March 11th, 3012 AAZ, 1100**_

"_An egg_?" asked Phillip incongruously, "You found a Pokemon egg? Where?"

"I found it alone, under some brush by the river, young lord" replied Higure, "I kept an eye on it, circling back during my patrol, but nothing approached it. I believe it may have been abandoned..."

"_Stop w - _nevermind," he sighed.

The most natural course of action was to leave it where it was. But then again, doing that would feel downright cruel. He supposed they could grab it and take it Sycamore - he'd have a place for it without a doubt. Or the third option, which would be...

"If no one wants it, we could have it for our breakfast," said Athena, smiling to show her razor sharp teeth.

Galatea leveled a dirty look at the dragon. "I should blast you on principle right now, _sister_," came a cold reply.

"_Relax,"_ she said, waving the Gardevoir's anger away, "It was only a joke."

"Right... anyway..." Ares stepped in, steering the conversation back on topic. "Even if we take the little bugger in and it hatches - any of you lot got maternal instincts about you? I know I haven't got a lick."

"I know!" said Atlas, his eyes filled with unusual excitement, "You sit on egg - warm egg - then hatch baby! I carry baby on shoulder! Become _Uncle_ Atlas! We can do!"

The rest of the group looked at the Tyranitar in bewilderment. He had never been this animated about anything, except maybe the chili Galatea had come up with. Phillip smiled, clapping his hands together.

"He's right," Phillip agreed, "After all the shit we've done together, hatching an egg shouldn't be a big problem. Besides, we can't be that bad at raising young ones right?"

Galatea giggled. "Atlas can be the uncle, Areas and Higure the big brothers and then Athena..." She smiled a wicked grin, eyeing the dragon. "Can be the bratty older sister that the young one teaches manners to..."

And just like that - one of their legendary fights started.

_**Southeastern Kalosian Mountains, March 11th, 3012 AAZ, 1100**_

Athena kept her eyes open as they got closer to the riverbed Higure had told them about. She was at the front, as she always preferred so that she could fight anything that was dumb enough to attack them. But in reality, word spread around, even in these mountains. It was become harder and harder to find any wild Pokemon who would fuck with them. Though on the bright side, that meant that she had more chances to spar with her partners, especially Galatea.

She considered Galatea her rival and though it pained her to admit it, the shrimp had skills - and the raw power to back them up. They would fight and argue about pointless shit all the time - but she knew Galatea would have her back in a heartbeat, and the same was true for her. Two years of scouting the wilderness of this country, tracking Pokemon that put up one hell of a fight, and fighting the humans that tried to take Pokemon away for profit had toughened them all up. It had brought them all closer together - they were a true family of fighters and Athena was proud of them.

In fact, it was that close bond of kinship that had caused Galatea to tell her a truth she had been hiding for a while - she had fallen in love, actually in fucking love, with Phil. It had been on a day when they went out scouting together. Galatea had started to cry silently, and Athena had had to push so damn hard to get her to talk, it was like rolling a boulder up the side of a mountain. Eventually, Galatea had crumpled down and cried out, admitting her emotions. At first, Athena didn't know what to say, but as her sister held onto her and cried uncontrollably, she had done the only thing she could do - she had let her talk it out.

Galatea was afraid that something like this could break apart this family, pushing Phillip away in disgust. It was a real possibility, but Athena didn't think that would be the case, and had told her as such. It was obvious Phillip treated Galatea a little differently than the rest of them. It wasn't that he favored her or something - shit like that would have pissed Athena to no end - but he acted a little differently around, a bit more relaxed. Athena always thought it was because Galatea and him probably had the strongest psychic link out of them all - but she hoped, for her sister's sake, that it was something whole conversation had happened six months ago, and she would talk to her on and off about the subject in secret. Athena didn't know where this would go, but she really did hope it went somewhere good, and not some clusterfuck.

"We've arrived," came Higure's calm voice.

Athena looked around, but all she saw was the river in front of them.

"No sign of the egg..." said Phillip, "you sure this is the right spot?"

"Of course young lord," came the reply, "In fact, a step to your right and you might break it."

They all looked over, and finally saw it. It was barely visible, almost completely covered under brush and broken branches. The only spot you could see was through a small gap, so small even Galatea's small finger might not make it through.

"How_ the fuck_ did you see that?" asked Athena.

"It is my duty to be the eyes and ears of our clan."

Phillip reached in, and gently took the egg in his arms. His eyes suddenly widened.

"What... heavier than you thought?" asked Athena.

"No..." he said in a low whisper, "I think it just moved..."

Suddenly, the egg moved violently, almost causing Phil to let go of the thing. He quickly placed it on the ground as the whole group looked on.

"Crap - we don't have anything for a baby yet!" yelled Athena.

"We have food!" exclaimed Atlas, almost as if to reassure himself more than anything.

"That's not all you need mate!"

"Ti's true - we require proper bedding, _proper_ food..."

"We'll just have to make do Higure! It's not like it's waiting for us." Galatea rushed forward and placed a reassuring hand of Phil's shoulder as he stood there like an idiot, the egg shaking in his hands as he tried to keep it steady on the forest floor. The two of them looked at each other, and nodded.

Athena stepped back, motioning for the other three to do the same. They gave her a questioning look, but did as she asked.

_You guys better, _she thought, _'Cause as soon as whatever is in there comes out - the first two things it sees, it's gonna assume are -_

Athena heard the eggshell brake with a whet _crack. _Everyone went quiet - it was so quiet Athena swore she could hear her own heartbeat like a drum in her head. Then the air was filled with small cries as Phil and Galatea got up from the ground. They turned around, and in his arms was a Ralts - crying and grabbing at his shirt.

"It's a little girl," said Galatea, smiling with excitement. Phil only stood there smiling, like a dumbass, but a happy one at that. Athena and the rest of the group came up to see the newborn. She was so small and frail, Athena thought she would break if the wind blew too hard. The small red horn on it's head shined in the sunlight, casting a warm, red glow. Then suddenly, it stopped crying, looking up at Phil. He stared back, unsure of what was going to happen.

The small Pokemon suddenly nestled it's head into his chest, a content smile coming over it. "_Ralt!" _it said in a small, high pitched voice. Galatea suddenly had a look on her face... embarrassment?

"Uhhh, what did she just say?" he asked around. Galatea's face contorted with a mixture of hesitation and awkwardness.

"Well - uhm - she - she just - " she stammered.

The small Pokemon suddenly took notice of her, and cried out again. "_Ralts!" _Suddenly, Galatea's face turned a shade of dark red. Everyone looked at her, waiting for an explanation.

"So - uhm," she mumbled. "She just called you... dad." She looked up at Phil, nervous as all hell. "And me, mom."

"I - she - huh?" was all Phillip could say as he stood there.

Everything was quiet, the words hanging in the air, then Athena and the rest burst into laughter. Ares walked up and gave Phil a firm slap on the back.

"Good job mate - or _dad?" _he laughed.

"Seriously," Athena said with a snort, "Did you guys fucking forget that brats think the first things they see are their parents?"

"Hey! Not in front of the baby!" cried Galatea.

_And so fucking it begins, _she thought to herself with a grin.

**That's the end for now readers! Let me know what you think in the reviews section!**

**Happy Holidays and I'll see you guys again soon! **

**-Bladewing265**


	14. Chapter 13

**I Will Protect You (In the Coming Storm)**

**Chapter 13**

**Hello readers! I hope you all had a great holiday! Thank you for keeping up with this story! You're motivation is greatly appreciated and keeps me going!**

**Without further ado, here's the next chapter!**

**Note: I do not own any of this. Pokemon belongs to its appropriate owners.**

_**Lumiose City, March 20th, 3012 AAZ, 900**_

_**Jax**_

Jax walked down Autumnal Avenue towards Centrico Plaza, dodging gawking foreigners as they stared at all the sights. The city was as busy as ever - a booming tourism industry came naturally to a city deemed to be one of humanities's greatest modern marvels. The buildings seemed to grow larger every year as more and more were added, as if challenging the heavens themselves to stop their encroachment. Shops were open from dawn until late at night, selling their goods and products to all manner of customers, sometimes at prices Jax felt should be criminal. Even so, even he would on occasion pay the piper and buy something from one of the stores - had to support their local businesses after all. Yes, Lumiouse, like Kalos, was growing ever constantly, a success story without an end or problem.

At least it seemed that way on the surface. Having been on the force, Jax knew how to get information and feel the heartbeat of the city - and that heartbeat had grown irregular. The people of Kalos, the everyday citizens, felt on edge, as though they could sense something bad around the corner. The government had issued more restrictions on training Pokemon, claiming that it was to prevent individuals from keeping creatures that could level entire cities or challenge police authority and disrupt the peace. Those in the public who had Pokemon or some stake in this decision, of course, had been outraged, feeling that they had already given up too much in terms of their traditions. Those without Pokemon applauded the move, denouncing trainers they felt were too incompetent to train such dangerous creatures in the first place. Coupled with tighter controls over the media and freedom of speech in general, the whole country had become polarized with such divisive issues. Both sides had their merits - but rather than talking things out like people should in a republic, party and political loyalty had trumped everything.

As a result, more and increasingly extreme political parties had formed. Today - Jax was going to speak to one of his informants about such a group - The NPK. It's official title was The National Party of United Kalosian Citizenry - a nationalist group that was growing increasingly popular in the Northeastern parts of the country. Their platform was to roll back the power of the government to censor the public, deregulate Pokemon training to what it had been years before, more government transparency, and to use simple and direct legislation that would protect the country and benefit the everyday citizen. Their ideas were more reasonable than other groups, and as a result their ranks had been growing faster. They appealed to people of all backgrounds - natives, immigrants, trainers, non-trainers, liberals, conservatives, you name it. In fact, they had grown so fast that the government had begun keeping tabs on them, marking them as a dissident group.

Jax felt a burning sensation in the pit of his stomach at the thought. It was pathetic - the current Prime Minister, Kazuo Yuuma, was a bigger threat than they were at the moment. After being elected 6 years ago, Yuuma had supposedly stopped the string of trainer killings, bringing order back to the country. Riding a surging wave of popularity afterwards, he had begun to erode away at the founding principles of the republic, all the while claiming his earnest love of land and country. As a final mockery, Yuuma had placed friends and family devoid of any governing experience in his cabinet, including his sister Allie Yuuma who was the very definition of a spoiled brat.

Jax rounded a corner into an ally off the Plaza - one of the many he used for these meetings. He took turn after turn, working his way deeper into the labyrinth. It was a bit cliche, meeting in a dark alley, but it gave them privacy and that was all that mattered. He looked around, expecting to see his old partner Ryan Mendez. Ryan had worked under him at LPD for years, and he had never met a finer officer. He was a true believer in what justice was- in Ryan's opinion, the law's first and foremost concern was the well being of the people, not the state. He was willing to break the rules if needed, so long as doing so didn't compromise the overall integrity of their mission. Jax had approached him early on regarding the killings, and Ryan had been his link to the information higher ups had tried to hide.

"Ryan!" Jax called out into the alley, but there was no response. He started walking forward, slowly. "Ryan - are you down here!? I came as soon as-"

Jax felt something catch his foot, causing him to stumble forward. He looked back, his right hand in the coat pocket where he kept his service revolver. It was body - lying on the cold cement. There was no mistaking the lifeless face looking skyward - it was Ryan. Jax ran up - intent on trying to wake him - but decades of police work won and he stopped himself. Doing so would only put himself in jeopardy by tainting the scene, and regardless, there was nothing he could do. He bit his lower lip, trying to steady himself as took in the scene.

The body had three bullet wounds: one to the abdomen, one to the heart and one to the head. Jax saw a trail of blood starting further in the alley and ending where Ryan lay, which meant he most likely tried to escape after being shot in the stomach. His hands were bruised and covered in scrapes, suggesting he had put up a fight even while bleeding out. His gun was missing - it was neither in his hostler or around him. Jax looked around, and saw a few small holes in a nearby wall opposite from where they were standing. If the murderer had had a gun on them, then perhaps one of the bullets could be used to trace them using ballistics analysis. He walked over, pulled out a pocket knife from his coat pocket, and put the blade inside it but found nothing - the same was true for the others. The murderer had done a good job cleaning after themselves. That meant this was no random mugging - this was the work of a professional. He went back to the body, desperate for any clues - then he noticed it. A small slip of paper - barely visible in the darkness - stuck out from underneath Ryan's collar. Carefully, Jax took and opened it.

_**400857945 - IOD896718 - 30051217**_

It didn't make any sense - but Ryan had used his last moments on Earth trying to get this message to him. Wiping a wayward tear, he got up to leave. He would place an anonymous call to the PD - he would not stand for leaving his former partner in this darkness.

"My old friend..." he said with a shaking voice, a righteous fury building inside of him, "I promise - they will pay _dearly_ for what they did to you."

_**Southeastern Kalosian Mountains, March 21st, 3012 AAZ, 1100**_

_**Phillip **_

The normal morning silence of their camp was broken as the air filled with cries of laughter. Phillip watched as their newest addition, Helen, stayed just out of reach of Atlas, lumbering behind her in a game of tag. The rest of their party watched and laughed as Atlas stumbled, trying to catch the much smaller Ralts.

"Me catch you!" he roared in laughter, trying to tag the small Pokemon. The small Ralts ducked below the Tyranitar, running underneath between his legs and grabbing hold of his tail.

"No - I catch you Uncle Atlas!" she cried out laughing. Atlas tried to swing his tail around, but found it impossible to get Helen within reach. Nevertheless, he kept trying, like a Growlith trying to catch his own tail.

A second later Helen vanished, and Phillip felt a small weight land on his head. He reached up and playfully took Helen in his arms, her small frame reminding him of Galatea two years ago when they met.

"Awww," she pouted, "You're not supposed to catch me daddy!"

"I'm sorry kid," he laughed as he rocked her in his arms, "But you're so adorable I couldn't help it."

Helen broke into a content smile as he rocked her, holding still and enjoying herself for a moment. It still felt strange that she would consider him a father, but it felt so natural to him that he didn't mind.

Then in a flash, she was gone, appearing next to Atlas, goading him into another game. The lumbering titan took on the challenge, starting a new game.

Athena walked up and sat next to Phillip, laying on her side and watching the fun with a hint of amusement.

"She's a handful, isn't she?" she said.

"That she is," said Phillip with a chuckle, "But no more than any one of us I imagine."

Athena grinned. "That's be right... especially no more trouble than a dumbass like you."

"And fuck you too, _madam_" he said with a grin, putting just enough of a spin on his words to suggest she was anything but.

They sat in silence for a moment, watching the scene in front of them. Athena wore a mask of mild indifference, but Phillip could tell that underneath there was something she wanted to say. While the Garchomp was notorious for showing either anger, delight, or sarcasm in most cases, Phillip had come to learn how to read her moods.

"Phil..." she said at last. "Do you feel - I mean - do you really think what we have here will last?"

Phillip's eyes darted over to his friend. "What makes you say that?" he asked.

"Don't play dumb, Phil" she said in a low voice. "That whole thing with your pals in Lumiose hasn't been settled, and now we have poachers crawling everywhere in these mountains. Instead of getting better, shit's only getting worse."

Phillip held her gaze before signing. "I know..." he muttered, looking back at their family. "It's strange... these poachers are all foreigners. What's even more bizarre is that Jax mentioned some of the one's we captured were big names in the underground - guys who shouldn't have been able to make it into the country. It's almost... like someone is letting them in on purpose."

"Then if that's true..." Athena growled, "this whole thing is bigger than any of us. Erwin said we should be ready for a war, but we don't know jack shit about what's going on."

"But that's why we're staying in the mountains," he muttered, "The farther we are from those people, the better we'll be."

"But how long," she hissed back at him, "How long before they come here. Fuck it - they're _already _here Phillip. What we have here - this life - it's fragile like a sapling caught in the eye of a tornado. It can torn a part without warning - _we_ could get torn apart without warning."

"Are you suggesting we run then?" he asked.

"No..." she retorted, "But... if were _are _going into hell - then maybe we shouldn't have brought a child along with us."

Phillip bit his lower lip, contemplating the dragon's words. "If it comes to that..." he said, "Then maybe we can take her somewhere safe. I know we promised to fight Gino and those scumbags... but things have gotten more complicated."

"But where can she hide," muttered Athena, "if the whole country goes up in hellfire?"

The pair fell silent, their conversation ending on a disturbing note. Phillip watched as Ares scooped up Helen and carried her on his shoulders, the small Ralts giggling and smiling.

_**Sycamore Labs, Lumiose City, March 21st, 3012 AAZ, 1400**_

_**Erwin **_

The three of them sat in Sycamores office - silent at the news Jax had brought.

Erwin had met Ryan once, and he had struck him as a good and honest man who believed in doing the right thing for the greatest number of people. He had deserved better than to die in an alley like a dog. Sycamore's face had gone white - no doubt wondering the same thing he was.

_If this group had been able to find Ryan's trail and kill him - what else could they know? _

"Listen," Jax said, breaking the silence, "We have to be prepared for them to come after any of us next. Ryan wasn't sloppy in his work - the fact they found him tells you how dangerous this group can be."

"Should we tell Phillip?" asked Sycamore.

"I don't think that's necessary - yet," added Jax. "They'll never find him or his team in the mountains. The boy's gotten very good and keeping a low profile. The three of us here would be more likely targets."

"I hope they come for me," grunted Erwin, "I have enough ammunition and weapons stashed away to win a World War."

"That's enough, Erwin," said Sycamore. "Jax makes a good point - we have to be prepared for what comes next. Jax - you said Ryan left a note?"

Jax handed the bloodstained note to Sycamore.

"_Merci," _he said. He took a few moments, then offered it to Erwin, at a loss.

Erwin took one look at it - and got an idea.

"This... could be a username and password," he said, handing the paper back to Jax. "Maybe to his computer at the LPD?"

"I tried that - it didn't register on their computers," replied the retired officer.

"Then perhaps the culprits already deleted the information..." Sycamore sighed. "_Mon dieu, _what are we to do?"

"What about his personal computer?" asked Erwin, handing the note back, "Did you get a chance to check that?"

"No - it's still at his home - but by now it's probably been confiscated by PD. There's no way of getting access to it," he said.

"Leave that to me - I'll take care of it." Erwin paused, taking a deep breath, "I think, that in light of this, we have to start considering what to do should the worst happen."

Sycamore's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And what would that be, _mon general_?"

"Let's not beat around the bush, Augustine," he growled, "These people have the means to cover their tracks and remain in the shadows - which can only happen if they have support from within our government. I've seen this pattern before - make people lose trust in the institutions that protect them and erode their foundations at the same time. In all likelihood, they're looking to take over this country - though as for what purpose we can only guess."

"So are you suggesting we gather support from officials and the like?" asked Jax.

Erwin snorted. "Hardly - politicians are like Eelektross - slimy as all hell. No - what i'm suggesting is courting the one force in this country that any leadership would _need _to maintain its power."

The air around them coiled with tension - like an Ekans rearing it's head back, ready to strike.

"Law enforcement?" asked Sycamore. Erwin only looked back at him in silence. Then professor's eyes grew wide as realization set in. "You mean - _the military_?"

Erwin nodded, "If we do that - if we can ensure that the army chooses the right path to follow when the time comes - we can protect ourselves and the people from a hostile takeover. I can speak to the general brass - I trained half of them and fought alongside the rest in my days."

"Erwin," said Jax, his voice betraying a sense of dread. "You're suggesting a military coup - we're supposed to stop these people from tearing apart the country, not beat them to it! How can we be party to _any_ of this?"

"You can't, which is why," he said getting up, "From this moment onward I shall be working on this alone. I don't want either of you getting involved in this plan." He regarded the pair not as a man - not as a citizen - but as a soldier called to the battlefield once again. "The time for subtlety is over gentlemen - in fact it may never have been an option to begin with. Now we do things my way - the only way I know how."

_**Capitol Building, Lumiose City, March 23rd, 3012 AAZ, 1800**_

Kazuo Yuuma sat at the head of an enormous table made of polished, solid oak. Gathered around it were his various Ministers - hand picked by himself to lead Kalos into a new future. Though most of their abilities were questionable at best, it was their loyalty and subservience that he liked the most. They knew it was only by his good graces that they maintained their power and position - the gift he had so generously given to them. But after all - it was a King's duty to reward his supporters. It was outrageous, that he be forced to run against contenders for the right to lead Kalos to prosperity. His lineage stretched back to the days when Kalos was at it's finest - a leader in war and force to reckon with - and always at the head were his ancestors.

Among them was his younger sister, Allie Yuuma, placed in charge of the Ministry of Health. She wore a new formal business dress - the finest in the country and not yet available to any citizens. Like himself, Allie always had a taste for the finest things in life - but also like him - she wanted more and her ambition could rival his own, perhaps even surpass it. THus, he had seen it wise to give her a position in his cabinet, to placate her at least.

"Gentlemen, and lady," he said as everyone got settled in. "Thank you for coming today. As you all know, our country continues to grow more unsettled with each passing day. There are persisting rumors that we have been hiding "scandalous" information from the rabble. This, of course, is very true." A small round of chuckling passed through the assembled members. "But that is not the problem - the real problem is how these allegations came to the surface. Minister Vasily Zhukov, do you have anything new to report on where these accusation surfaced?"

The aged and balding leader of the Ministry of Intelligence stood up to deliver his report. Out of all of the cabinet members, he was by far the most, or rather only, capable one. He had had a stellar career in various bureaucratic positions throughout Kalos, and had made full use of them to advance through the ranks. Even before then, he had been a renowned intelligence officer who had somewhat of a mythical status among his brethren. It made Yuuma weary of him, but he needed someone he could fully rely on for difficult tasks.

"As far as we can tell," he said in a brisk tone, "these rumors surfaced in the Northeastern parts of the country. Specifically Dendimille and the surrounding countryside. Something to note, this is also where the NPK party originated, which may mean that they have played some part in this. However, we are still investigating the possible link. Also, we uncovered several underground groups intent on distributing anti-government propaganda to the public in the form of flyers and recorded videos. We have since shut them down, and have had their members transferred to black sites for interrogation and reeducation."

A small jolt of anger ran along the table at the mention of the group. Yuuma and his cabinet hated the NPK, and if not for the fact that it would look too tyrannical, he would have ordered the arrest of every party member followed by a swift execution. It was outrageous, that these upstarts would dare threaten his right to rule Kalos. What was even worse, people had begun to listen to the group - and protests had begun to erupt in various corners of the country. It was enough to make his blood boil. But no, losing his calm demeanor now would be of no help.

"Very good then. Now, Minister Kojima Sozui, how is the Ministry of Communications dealing with the growth of these subservient numbers?"

Sozui was the exact opposite of Zhukov. He lacked courage and a spine, but it was for lack of thereof that Yuuma knew he would never betray him, so he kept him around. The frail middle aged man stood up, his think black rimmed glasses almost falling off in his rush to deliver his report. "W-well the, uh, the Ministry has passed, uhm, new measures on media outlets f-forbidding them from promoting or r-reporting on certain outlined -this is to ensure that w-we have strict c-control over topics th-that may undermined popular confidence in our institutions. F-furthermore we have outlined n-new pro-government programs to be broadcasted at l-length promoting our s-successes to the g-general masses."

Yuuma raised an inquiring eyebrow. "Is that it then? Just some new programs?"

Sozui began to stutter an apology, before Allie interrupted.

"Dear Prime Minister," she said with a grin, "the poor boy has had such a hard time dealing with this monumental task you've given him. Come now, can't you be a _little_ sympathetic to his plight?"

Yuuma glared at her. "These are dangerous times. Any lack of vigilance on our part only invites chaos and disaster to befall our country." He stood up to address all those assembled. "We are the chosen - no - _destined _\- leaders of this country. It is up to us to ensure our continued legacy and to create a Kalos such as the one of ancient times - strong, absolute, and unyielding. These people, who stand against this coming era are the trash of our society - nothing but feral dogs. We must put them down with all haste and cast them aside no matter the cost or sacrifice. This is the last obstacle on our path to greatness. They have eluded us for far too long - and I demand their heads as payment for their insubordination."

_**Capitol Building, Lumiose City, March 23rd, 3012 AAZ, 1910**_

"Th-thank you for your help back there," stuttered Sozui.

Allie raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Oh, don't worry about it dear... It was nothing."

The pair sat in Sozui's disheveled office. Loose papers, law books, and all other manner of items were strewn everywhere. It was next to impossible for him to find anything in here. But he hadn't had the time to clean up in the slightest - so pressing was the task before him. It was his job to present a strong and confidant Kalosian government - to make the people believe in their country.

The task was easier said that done. While he questioned his own abilties, there was no doubt that other members of the Cabinet were even worse at their jobs than he was. It made covering their mistakes and failures a never ending headache for him and his department. But thankfully - he had had some help from Allie.

"No - it wasn't nothing!" he insisted. "You saved me back there. Honestly, without you're support the Prime Minister would have had my head!"

Allie let out a small,beautiful laugh. "You give him to much credit," she giggled, "He can be scary on the outside, but inside he's just the same as you or me." She leaned forward, looking deep into his eyes. "But he can be a pill as well."

Sozui felt the blood rush to his head as she drew close. Her scarlet hair and pink irises were beautiful to him - and he had developed feelings for her from the first moment he had seen her.

She leaned back, grabbing at a pile of folders on his desk.

"So," she said as she scanned the documents, "How's work going on taking care of those killers - you know - the ones that have been killing trainers for a while?"

"O-oh" he stuttered, caught off guard. "Well - Zhukov is still working on finding out more information. He can't push too hard though. These criminals have to be found and disposed of quietly. We still think they're remnants of Team Flare, but can't be entirely sure. As far as we can tell, though, th-they have almost stopped entirely in their killings. In fact, it's been two month since any suspected attacks."

"I'd appreciate it if you could keep me informed on this matter," said Allie as she handed back the file. "After all, the people of Kalos are my responsibility, my possessions. I want to do everything I can to stop these traitorous dogs."

"Of-of course!" he stammered, "Consider it done!"

Allie smiled as she reached over and placed her hand over his. The warmth of her hand was heavenly to him.

"Thank you, Kojima." she said, her voice as sweet as nectar.

_**Southeastern Kalosian Mountains, March 31st, 3012 AAZ, 1100**_

"That went better than expected right mates?" chuckled Ares.

"Indeed, we were all thus fortunate today" said Higure, "Do you not agree, young lord?"

"For fucks sake - stop calling me that..." groaned Phillip.

"I cannot. Apologies, young lord," came a simple, direct response, causing Ares to burst into laughter.

The three of them were making their way to camp, having just finished following up on the Drapion they had tagged earlier in the month. As expected, the entire hive had made a full recovery from their skirmish and was back to normal behaviors. A quick check on his tracker gun had told Phillip the device on the creature was sending out a constant stream of information, and that everything was in good working order. With that, they could finally move on and see what other Pokemon they could locate.

"Ah well," he said, "I'm just glad we're done for the day. Let's get back to the others as soon as possible."

"Too true Phil," said Ares, "Best not make Galatea wait - it was the devil's work just getting her to stay back at camp today."

"Very true, Ares," mused Higure,"She was very insistent she come today. But alas, Phillip was right - it was only a routine day and her efforts are better lent to protecting Helen and the others."

Phillip smiled as he remembered Galatea this morning, pouting about staying back at camp while they went out into the field. He didn't win too many arguments with her, so he had to savor every small victory. But like Higure had said, nothing was going to happen today that they wouldn't be able to handle. Phillip had even gone through the trouble of putting on a heavy camo cloak to better blend in with the environment along with lugging a full compliment of smoke and stun grenades. It was for the best that she stay back and protect the newbor-

It happened in an instant. A flash of light, the source behind them, erupted into the clearing. Instinctively, the three of them turned, with Phillip reaching down to grab his blade. Higure and Ares moved to assume their combat stances. When he looked behind him, Phillip saw a pair of purple eyes with white pupils dominating his vision. As soon as he did, his whole body froze in place.

Another flash erupted, and Phillip suddenly felt his whole body flying. He recognized the sensation - it was exactly the same as when Galatea teleported him and the others. Moments later - he hit solid ground, tasting rich earth in his mouth.

The feeling in his arms and legs came back. He bolted up, his dagger still clutched in his hand. He felt a the oncoming pain of a bruise forming on his left shoulder from the impact. He looked around - he was in the middle of a forest - Higure and Ares were nowhere to be seen. Through a gap in the trees, he could make out the distant shapes of familiar hills - he was still in the mountains, but considerably further away than where he had been travelling.

A small noise behind him caught his attention. Spinning around, he saw the same creature that had taken him away. It was small, about two or three feet tall, walking on four legs. It had lilac colored fur and large ears with a red gem in the center of its forehead. It had a single tail that seemed to split at the end. He had seen a creature like this before in Lumiose - an Espeon.

He took a step back from it, holding his weapon steady. It walked with him, its eyes fixed intently on him as if sizing him up. But why? Why had this Espeon brought him here? What was it doing in these mountains?

"I finally caught one of you cowards" came a cold and menacing voice.

Phillip watched as a figure emerged from the forest behind the Espeon. A woman, with short, dirty blonde hair and green eyes came into view. She wore a green camo jacket and denim jeans. On her hands were a pair of black fingerless combat gloves with a strip of hardened polymer laid over the knuckles. She wore six PokeBalls on her belt.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, never once letting down his guard.

"That doesn't matter, you filthy poacher!" she snarled. "Your group has been dodging me for the past two weeks, but now it's over! You're going to tell me where the rest of your friends are! Lay down your weapon and surrender, or else!"

Phillip's eyes widened in shock.

"What the hell?! I'm not a poacher you stupid ass-!"

"Save me the lies!" she shouted as she let loose five Pokeballs from her belt. In a flash of red light, five more Pokemon emerged. A Jolteon, Vaporeon, Leafeon, Glaceon and finally, and most alarmingly, a _very _large Arcanine. The new Pokemon took positions around him, with the Arcanine covering its trainer. The air around him filled with their angry growls as they watched his every move.

"This is your last warning," she hissed. "Throw down that useless weapon and surrender. You're coming with me to Lumiose City, where you'll be handed over to the authorities_ after_ you give me answers. Whether we do this the easy way or the hard way is up to you."

Phillip thought furiously for a way out. There was no way in _hell _he would go with her. Not only was this psycho wrong about him, but getting turned over, even temporarily, to the police could be bad for him and the others. Gino and whoever he was working with clearly had government connections, so getting involved with the police could be a death sentence should Gino use that to track him down. That left only one option.

He leveled his eyes with hers. The way they passed judgement on him only fueled his anger.

"I'm no poacher - and I'm not going anywhere, you crazy bitch," he spat. He threw his knife over to his left hand, and with his right took hold of the grip on his AKR-94 on his back, concealed by his cloak, ready to bring it to bear.

"Fine then," she said coldly, "Well do this the hard way."

**Hope you guys enjoyed! Please leave a comment, follow, or favorite this story! It really means a lot to me! I see you all next time! **


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